Residuum
by knuckz
Summary: Qrow was only in the Wilds to investigate some ridiculous rumor about friendly Grimm. Instead, he found a boy that could command them. AU.
1. Blood 1-1 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.1**

 **i**

* * *

He swept another branch out of his way, ducking around the foliage as he looked around, tracking the footprints as best as he could. His weapon was tucked away but ready at a moment's notice, though he might not need to use it if the rumors were to be believed. The sun was bearing it's full force today which made him all the more thankful for the shades the trees provided.

"Oh come on!"

The tracks ended _again_. He felt he should've known better than to investigate this of all things. Qrow snorted at the ludicrousness of the idea, he had half a mind to just end his search right here and then. He resented being out here in the Wilds when he could have been in a bar somewhere in the Kingdoms.

"I hate mysteries," he muttered, but this was one he couldn't ignore and if there was even a slight shred of truth to them, then Ozpin would want to know about it and he would need proof. Reaching into his pocket, Qrow pulled out his flask and brought it to his mouth, taking a long swig. He was thankful he remembered to refill it before setting out for the day.

As he trudged on, Qrow stepped into a clearing only to see the first signs of life he had seen all day. Itching to slash something, he placed his hand on the hilt of his weapon, awaiting the charge from the single Beowolf.

Except it didn't. The Grimm stayed stationary, not charging at him like the mindless beast it was but observing him as it sat on it's haunches with its head tilted in curiosity. Curious himself, Qrow slowly approached the soulless creature while keeping his hand on his weapon, prepared to strike.

The Beowolf didn't react, it's movements minimal as it continued to stare at him. Qrow inspected the Grimm intensely. It didn't look any different to any other Beowolf he had seen before, though it seemed a little young as it didn't have it's spikes yet, and it's claws were still small. No, nothing was different except for…

"It's eyes," Qrow whispered, his brow furrowing. Every Grimm, _every_ Grimm had red eyes. A telling sign of impending doom and indiscriminate death, of claws and teeth and the blood of humans or faunus, Grimm had red eyes.

"Why blue?" Qrow asked himself within a foot of the Grimm. It still didn't react, not even as Qrow reached out his arm. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as his hand approached the Beowolf's head. When he finally touched it, the Beowolf closed it's eyes, it's tongue lolling out contentedly.

"What're you, a dog?" Qrow muttered, thinking of Zwei as he rubbed the Grimm's head. Still, this lead credence to the rumors he had overheard in the area. He knew it was ridiculous as soon as he heard them because only a fool would consider Grimm even remotely friendly. He wanted to blow it off but the man had sounded so _sure_.

His senses kicked in right then, and he tensed as he _knew_ he was going to be attacked… _from the side_.

Qrow dodged backwards, his sword drawn as he just barely managed to avoid being grabbed by his attacker. The attacker froze immediately, clearly not expecting to be evaded. Qrow could understand; he _would_ have been caught if he had been any less of an experienced Huntsman.

The figure was humanoid Qrow noticed alarmingly. It's get-up wasn't the most fashionable, covered almost from head to toe in what he had to assume was Grimm's fur. It wore a mask over it's head, hiding blue eyes but he could just barely make out a face. It had a sharpened stick tied to a makeshift belt around the waist.

'No, not a Grimm.' Qrow dismissed the idea quickly. Regardless of colour, those weren't the eyes of a Grimm. He wasn't sure if it was a faunus or a human, but it was a person, most likely a male. He was oddly reminded of his errant sister, who wore a very similar mask.

"Who are you?" Qrow asked cautiously. Friendly Grimm… perhaps this was the person controlling them? The man didn't reply, opting to stare at him silently. Qrow kept his blade out in front of him, ready for another attack. He tensed as the man raised his hand to his mask, lifting it only to reveal a young face and bright blue eyes.

"A kid?" Qrow snorted, smiling despite himself, "I must be getting rusty if a kid like you almost got the jump on me."

The kid raised his other hand, shaking Qrow's flask at him with a taunting grin on his face. Qrow almost dropped his weapon right there.

"What the…" Qrow patted his pockets, not finding his flask anywhere, "You little bastard."

The kid opened it, taking a long drink much to the man's consternation. Then he coughed and sputtered violently as the drink presumably burned his throat. The kid gave the flask a disgusted look, causing Qrow to chuckle.

"Can't handle your drink, huh? Give that back," Qrow said, holding out his hand. The boy tossed the silver flask back at him, watching with disgust as Qrow took another long swig from it.

"Hits the spot," Qrow said, burping loudly, "So tell me kid, is that your semblance? Making fake Grimm?"

"Grimm?" the boy asked, speaking for the first time. Qrow gave him a weird look as he sheathed his weapon. Apart from the initial ambush, the kid hadn't made any aggressive movements so he deemed it safe.

"Yeah, Grimm," he repeated, "You know, the enemy of mankind, beasts of darkness, nice fur rug for your living room?"

The boy didn't look any more enlightened as he furrowed his eyebrows much like Qrow had not too long ago. He looked at the ground as if remembering something.

"Grimm," the boy repeated, sounding out the word. The Beowolf nearby started growling, causing both Qrow and the boy to straighten up. An Ursa lumbered into the clearing through the nearby bush, eyes a glowing red like the Grimm Qrow remembered.

The teenager raised his hand, signalling his companion.

"Go."

The blue-eyed Beowolf charged at the Ursa upon the boy's command, dodging a paw and pinning the beast to the ground as it bowled it over. The Ursa roared in anger but could do nothing. Qrow watched as the kid walked over, drawing a makeshift wooden knife from his belt.

Instead of killing it like Qrow had expected, he sliced his hand open above the Ursa's head, letting his blood fall onto it. The beast roared in pain, struggling against the Beowolf as it tried in vain to be released.

Qrow's eyes widened and his mouth fell as he gaped at the scene. The Ursa's eyes turned blue and it became totally docile, causing the Beowolf to back off. He looked at the boy in wonder. The kid hadn't activated his aura whatsoever.

"Guess it's not a semblance," Qrow said faintly.

* * *

 **Notes:** This is the first of the full-length RWBY fics I have planned. These notes will be kept short for the most part. Update schedule is planned to be once per day until we're caught up to what I have written so far, which is currently enough for 18 more chapters.

Please leave a review to let me know your impressions. See you all tomorrow!

knuckz


	2. Blood 1-1 - scene ii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.1**

 **ii**

* * *

He wasn't sure what to make of it. Using a semblance required the use of aura, there was no going around that. He had never seen anyone turn Grimm like that, he wasn't even aware if semblances were capable of directly interacting with Grimm in any fashion.

"Hey," Qrow spoke up, capturing the boy's attention, "What's your name, kid?"

The teen looked at Qrow with an unreadable expression on his face. Qrow waited for him to answer for a moment but there was no response forthcoming. Sighing as he realized the boy wasn't going to take any initiative, Qrow decided to take the first step.

"I'm Qrow," he said, pointing at himself before pointing at the boy who still didn't answer.

"Qrow, you, Qrow, you?" he said, alternating between pointing at himself and the kid, "How 'bout it?"

The boy kept his silent vigil, completely unwilling to dignify the Huntsman with a response. Qrow could understand where he was coming from. The Wilds were a dangerous place and trusting another person was something done at one's own peril more often than not. Living without barriers between people and the Grimm was already dangerous without the added dangers of the idiocy of people.

"Alright, I get it," Qrow said, "You don't gotta tell me anything. But… you look like you've been on your own for a while. Everybody should have someone to rely on."

It looked like the truth Qrow admitted. The kid had almost got the drop on him, even managing to steal his flask. Qrow had been distracted since he was inspecting the impossibly blue-eyed Grimm, but even then it meant that the kid had a lot of experience ambushing people in the Wilds. It was probably how he survived, attacking others and stealing their food.

It also meant that the kid grew up here, most likely alone. To be able to move so silently that a Huntsman as experienced as Qrow didn't know he was there… this was the kid's home. It had to be nothing short of a miracle like those stories that Summer always used to love, a young child with the ability to turn Grimm surviving on his own in the Wilds.

The boy reached up and took off his hood, also made of Grimm fur, revealing his sun-kissed hair. He obviously hadn't had a cut in a long time, his golden locks falling to just below his shoulders. He was a pretty child Qrow couldn't help but think, the hair made him look more feminine than before.

"Jaune."

Qrow blinked as he considered what the blond had just said.

"Gesundheit?"

"They called me that… I think," Jaune replied, sounding unsure, "I don't remember too much but… that's my name."

"Jaune, huh?" Qrow said, rubbing his chin appreciatively before eyeing his yellow hair and grinning, "Fitting."

The kid looked so unsure, so wary that Qrow knew he would have to handle this carefully, despite how much he wanted to just jump in and ask questions. The kid had mentioned a 'they', meaning someone had known him and named him, probably family. Ozpin was so much better suited for this.

"So," Qrow said, holding up his flask, "Want some more?"

He chuckled when Jaune grimaced.

"No? More for me I guess," Qrow said, drinking some more. Jaune watched him with slight awe.

"It tastes bad," Jaune said, his nose wrinkling, "How do you drink that?"

"A man's drink," Qrow replied, letting out a refreshed sigh, "You'll appreciate it one day."

As Qrow tucked away his trusty flask, he eyed the kid, noticing the blond had let down his guard a little bit.

"So, you seem like you know these parts," Qrow said, "How long you been here for?"

Jaune paused, considering Qrow's question. If it truly had been a long time, Qrow could understand his hesitation. Calendars were probably a rare commodity if you were on your own in the Wilds.

"Years," Jaune replied evenly, "I counted… maybe ninety full moons?"

Qrow let out a whistle as he did the math in his head. That was close to eight years, and the kid looked young, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. Maybe around his niece's age?

"Anyone else with you?" Qrow asked carefully, "Don't tell me you've been by yourself for that long?"

Jaune shook his head.

"My Vespers scared people away," Jaune said, his voice having the slightest tinge of sadness, "They either attacked or ran away."

"Your what?"

"My… oh, my Grimm, I guess," Jaune said, shrugging and pointing at the Beowolf and the Ursa. Qrow realized that Jaune had probably called them Vespers, at least the ones he had converted. He certainly hadn't known they were called Grimm.

"Vespers is fine," Qrow said, acceding the name to the blond. He didn't want the kid too much out of his comfort zone.

"So how _do_ you do that?" Qrow asked, "Turn them all… blue-eyed."

He looked back at the Grimm, noticing how even the Ursa sat near Jaune, any intent of attacking or eating them completely gone. Qrow had felt surprised that a single Beowolf could even pin down an Ursa. Beowolves weren't renowned for their strength since they were pack hunters, but they were more agile than Ursa. Knocking it down Qrow could understand, which was already a stretch but to pin it down meant there was something more to Jaune's ability than just turning the Grimm.

"With blood," Jaune replied simply, sounding confused, "Why, can't you do it?"

Qrow gave him a wry look.

"I'm afraid that turning Grimm into loyal lapdogs isn't in my skillset," he replied in good humor, brushing his hair back, "You're still bleeding by the way."

Jaune nodded, eyeing the cut without any wince of pain.

"It should heal in a few days," Jaune replied, to which Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"Not using your aura to heal it?"

"My what?"

Qrow just sighed. Really, he should have given up being surprised by this kid. So what if he didn't know what aura was? He had pet Grimm, that was probably enough protection.

"Never mind," Qrow muttered before holding out his left hand for the kid to shake, "Where are my manners? Good to meet ya, kid."

Jaune hesitated for just a second, but Qrow could see that hunger in his eyes for human contact. He was probably starved for it, to meet another person. Qrow couldn't imagine being alone for eight years. Only monsters would truly enjoy that.

Monsters and Raven that is.

Jaune met Qrow's hand with his own good one and Qrow could see the slightest prickle of tears in his eyes. But the drunk also confirmed another theory of his; the kid's aura hadn't been activated.

That meant Jaune was special. And if Jaune was special, Qrow would definitely have to take him to the only person that knew a lot about special people.

Ozpin.

* * *

 **Notes:** This is meant to be a really long fic so you'll notice a slow pace. The chapters are kinda short, but that's why updates are very frequent.

In regards to pairings: while I'm personally partial to Arkos, there won't be any rabid shipping in this fic. There may be some romance, but this isn't really a romance fic.

I appreciate all the reviews! Please leave a comment to let me know what you think. Next update is scheduled for March 7th EST.

knuckz


	3. Blood 1-1 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.1**

 **iii**

* * *

"Alright kid, show me what you got," Qrow said, holding his stick expertly. Jaune had at first been worried to duel his older companion as his own weapon was sharpened but Qrow had assured him he'd be okay. Well, Qrow had insulted him and said he didn't stand a chance, but it got the blond to duel him either way.

Jaune held his stick in front of him as the two watched each other sharply, Qrow with a cocky smirk on his face. Jaune was the first to move, jumping back sharply as Qrow had expected, disappearing behind a tree. Qrow still knew where he was but soon enough the blond was completely hidden to the point even Qrow couldn't accurately track him, though he knew the blond was nearby.

A few days had passed since Qrow met Jaune and though he had not expected it, the Huntsman had actually learned a lot from watching the blond. The teen obviously was not the greatest fighter he had seen, an amateur in swordplay with his stick-sword but the kid knew how to move in the jungle, maybe even better than Qrow himself. He was swift, silent, and savage, probably through his years of trial and error of living alone in the forests of the Wilds. Qrow was faster for sure, and the kid probably wouldn't hold a candle in speed to most Huntsman that would have the use of weapons, aura, and semblances to speed themselves up.

Qrow heard the barest of noises from behind him, pivoting on his foot as he dodged Jaune's lunge, bringing his stick down on the kid's shoulder, causing the blond to roll away before he was hit. Mid-roll, Jaune got his foot steady and lunged right back at Qrow, making the man grin at his gall.

Qrow dodged again, this time kicking out low making sure to hit the kid but Jaune reacted appropriately, blocking the kick with his hand and leaping over it, slashing at Qrow as he tried to get behind him. Qrow parried the blow, this time pressing his advantage and hitting the blond on his side with decent force on his sword, enough to hurt but not enough to cripple.

Jaune took the blow with grace, grabbing onto Qrow's weapon and planting a foot onto the ground. He pulled hard, putting his body into it to pull Qrow along with his weapon, hoping to catch him unawares. Qrow effortlessly caught Jaune's retaliatory slash, but instead of holding the stick pushed back, causing the blond to finally lose his balance and his weapon. Jaune fell to the floor but immediately rolled away again, not letting Qrow push the advantage much to the man's amusement. He flipped back up, now completely unarmed against his opponent.

Qrow gave him a shit-eating grin, knowing he won again.

"That's eight to zero," Qrow told him, making the blond glower at him.

The blond was a damn _ninja_. He could vanish and sometimes even Qrow had trouble keeping track of him. The kid may not be the fastest but he moved _right_ , conserving as much energy as he could with every movement he made. He also attacked ferociously, with little telegraphing in his moves. Qrow had to wonder who would win if he set up a fight between Jaune and Yang. Yang was definitely better, heck even little Ruby was better, but Jaune was unusual and unorthodox and if he could surprise even Qrow, then he definitely had a chance against a Huntress-in-training.

As Jaune had shown him a few tricks, unintentionally or not, Qrow tried teaching the blond in return. The right way to hold a sword, some basic strikes and parrying. Jaune hadn't taken to it, he hadn't asked Qrow to teach him more than the first time they practiced together but the Huntsman felt it had more than to do with a lack of interest than to do with ineptitude.

"You know, if you were willing to learn to use a sword you would have a better time," Qrow said, but Jaune just shook his head, refusing yet again. Qrow didn't push the issue, not just yet.

"Well, that was good exercise, but how about we get dinner started?" Qrow asked, "The fish all skinned, right?"

Jaune just rolled his eyes as they walked over to where Qrow had set up camp. It was about half-an-hour later that darkness really fell and they began cooking their dinner.

Qrow rubbed his hands over the fire, watching the fish cook as Jaune stretched out on his makeshift bed, yawning as he stared into the night sky. His Beowolf had faded a few hours before, indicating to Qrow that whatever it really was that the blond was doing did kill the Grimm after taking control of them. The Ursa was still around, sleeping silently near the fire.

"So I got a question for you," Qrow said to the blond, causing the blond to look at him. Qrow hesitated for a moment, knowing this would be a sensitive issue but he had done his best to build a camaraderie with the boy to avoid any serious backlash.

"You mentioned you were here for almost eight years," Qrow stated.

"Ninety moons," Jaune supplied.

"A shit-load of moons," Qrow said, "But what about before that? You're what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

Jaune fell silent as he tried to remember.

"I… I don't really remember too much," he said, not looking at Qrow, "There were two people. I think their hair was like mine, yellow. They took me somewhere, I remember being scared but they were… they were teasing me?" Jaune spoke in a hollow voice, "And we were attacked… I remember red eyes, I was- I was screaming, I was so afraid. They were screaming too. Jaune, Jaune."

Qrow remained silent, a steady look on his face as he considered this. That had to be his family. His parents… no, his siblings if they were teasing him.

"It was Grimm, had to be. We tried running, they were trying to get to us. I got caught," Jaune said, shaking slightly, "It hurt, one of them bit me."

"But it didn't eat you," Qrow interjected, realizing what had happened, "It drew your blood and you turned it. But you were scared, so it took you away from the place that scared you."

Jaune nodded.

"I wasn't sure what happened for years. The other two… I think they were girls, I saw them run away and leave me behind, screaming my name, screaming 'mom', 'dad'. I remember my head hitting something and I woke up to some big dumb wolf licking my face," Jaune said, smiling sadly, "Stupid thing protected me but it didn't survive much longer."

"And you were on your own since then," Qrow said, looking back to the fish, "Those girls, probably your sisters I'd guess."

"Yeah, maybe," Jaune said, obviously having considered it before.

"They abandoned you," Qrow mentioned, completely calm, "You got caught and they ran away. You got left behind."

Jaune grunted.

"Do you blame them?"

Jaune didn't reply immediately, looking into the small campfire they had going and listening to the crackling wood. The Ursa snorted in it's sleep nearby, but they both ignored it.

"I did," Jaune said finally, "For a long time I did. Now however, how do I put it? Well, I was a kid too and the Grimm…"

"The Grimm do that to people," Qrow said, closing his eyes, "Even grown men and women, they forget any decency to protect themselves. 'My life's worth more than some kid, let's toss her at them as bait'. I've seen the worst of people. But your sisters, they were just kids."

"Yeah."

The two fell silent, remembering some of the worst times of their lives. Qrow grabbed a stick, holding it out to Jaune.

"Here," he said, "Get your grub on."

"Thanks," Jaune said appreciatively, sitting up and nibbling on the fish. Qrow grabbed his own stick, enjoying what he could out here in the wilderness. He really wouldn't mind real food, maybe a good restaurant. Or a bar.

"Come with me," Qrow said, looking at Jaune again.

"Huh?" Jaune replied eloquently, mouth stuffed. Qrow took a deep breath, hoping he could explain this well. He did have a decent handle on the blond.

"Come with me," Qrow repeated, "I can't guarantee anything, but you probably have at least two sisters, not to mention a mom and a dad. I know someone, one of the wisest men I've ever met in my life. If there's anyone that can help you, it's him."

Jaune swallowed, searching Qrow's face for any sort of deceit, but Qrow was completely serious. More so than getting this kid to Ozpin because of his abilities, no kid deserved being on their own like he was. The blond had spent probably half his life alone in the Wilds. No, not alone. Living with Grimm, the complete antithesis of the light. Qrow wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"Like I said, I can't guarantee it but I know you don't want to be alone any more. You want your family back," Qrow said, "The man I'm talking about, Ozpin, he has a school."

"A school?" Jaune asked disbelievingly. Qrow rolled his eyes.

"Not a regular school you schmuck, a Huntsman school," Qrow explained, "Beacon, one of the best schools in the world. I went there myself. You'll learn to be a Huntsman like I am."

"And I'll find my family there?" Jaune asked quietly.

"I don't know," Qrow answered honestly, "But I do know Ozpin, and I trust him. I don't know if he'll do it for free, but he's the headmaster of a school that trains the defenders of this world, and I've seen how you fight, how you _move_. You'll school most of those wannabes there and if you do get accepted into his school, then I know I can convince Ozpin to help you."

"Jaune. If there's anyone that can find your family, it's Ozpin," Qrow said, and Jaune could hear the certainty in his voice.

"What if I don't get accepted?" Jaune asked, and Qrow knew he was seriously considering the idea.

"You will," Qrow said firmly, "Initiation is in around three months, maybe slightly more. We'll take the scenic route to Vale so I can train you. You don't know it but I'm one of the best Huntsmen in the world. Three months with me and you'll be able to pass initiation at least. You'll be a bit behind, most of those kids have been training for a decade, but you got what it takes."

"Even if you don't get accepted," Qrow finished, "What's here for you?"

Jaune look at Qrow silently for a moment, his mind working furiously. His tongue dashed out, licking his lips nervously. Qrow smiled, knowing he was convinced.

"Alright," said Jaune, "I'll come with you, but only on one condition."

"What's that?"

Jaune pointed at him; no, slightly behind him.

"I get your cape."

Qrow just snorted, shaking his head wryly.

"You and your obsession with red."

* * *

 **Notes:** For some reason, the previous update didn't reflect in the master list of the RWBY section. Even now as I'm writing this, the story only shows the date of publish yet no date for how recently it was updated. Hopefully it was just a rare glitch, otherwise the popularity of this listing is pretty much shot if updates aren't pushing it to the front page under the RWBY section.

Either way, thanks for reading and drop a review! Next update is scheduled for March 8th EST.

knuckz


	4. Blood 1-1 - scene iv

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.1**

 **iv**

* * *

"Never… again," Jaune gasped, hands and knees on the floor, "I'm never listening to you again."

Qrow looked at his apprentice, amused at his plight.

"So you can live in the Wilds for eight years like a savage, but the first dust-plane you get on and everything falls to shit?" Qrow asked, enjoying the blond's discomfort.

"You… fucking-"

"Hey hey," Qrow interrupted him, laughing, "Watch your language. They'll never let you in around here if you talk like me."

Jaune gestured something extremely vulgar at the Huntsman, making him laugh even more.

"Now that was completely uncalled for," Qrow said, still smiling as he watched Jaune get to his feet, "Come on now, I should introduce you to Ozpin. We only have a few hours to get your application in. The other students should be here soon enough."

Jaune brushed the dirt off his knees as he followed behind Qrow. His teacher for the past three months seemed to know where he was going, but over the time Jaune got to know him, he realized two things about Qrow. He could be someone you trusted with your life, but not someone you could trust to not mess with you.

"Ozpin lets new students into Beacon this late?" Jaune asked curiously, looking at the school in awe. After eight years (and three months) in the Wilds, seeing sights like Vale, though it was from the dust-ship, and now the grandness of Beacon were awe-inspiring for him. Qrow looked at him knowingly, understanding how dazzled he might feel, perhaps more than other students would be.

"No clue," Qrow replied as he peered into his flask with a frown, trying to find maybe a last drop of ale.

"Wait, how do you know that I'll get in then?" Jaune asked, alarmed.

"Beg him," Qrow replied shrugging nonchalantly, "Maybe he'll let you in if you ask him on your knees."

Qrow raised his hand to his mouth, crudely imitating something that clearly demonstrated his own vulgarity as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Jaune looked disgusted despite his own gesture not too long ago.

"Just tell me if it's withered and wrinkled, I got a bet going," Qrow said. Jaune stuck out his tongue, imitating him throwing up.

"You're an ass," Jaune told him, making Qrow laugh again. The two kept on their trek, continuing their banter as Qrow led him to an elevator, going to the top of a tower. Jaune knew this must be where Professor Ozpin resided, the one who Qrow believed could find his family.

When the doors dinged open, Qrow stepped out, Jaune following at his heels feeling overwhelmingly nervous. Inside the room were two others who looked at their new arrivals in surprise. There was an older gentleman sitting behind the desk, gray hair prominent on his head. His spectacles didn't entirely hide his eyes, but Jaune could understand why Qrow had called him the wisest man he knew. The other was a very attractive blonde that Jaune immediately knew he was not going to cross if he could help it.

"Qrow!" the woman exclaimed, clearly surprised he was here.

"This is Glynda Goodwitch," Qrow said, ignoring her much to her annoyance, "I know you wanna get her in the sack kid, but Beacon has rules against teacher-student relationships."

Jaune sputtered, denying Qrow's words as Glynda glared at them.

"Or not, I don't care. Just don't bother 'cause you won't get anywhere," Qrow said, smirking at her, "And there's Ozpin. On your knees now, Jaune."

Jaune ignored Qrow, gulping as he looked at Ozpin with wide eyes unsure of what to say. Ozpin just sighed, giving Qrow a look with which Jaune was familiarized: rote annoyance.

"What is the meaning of this Qrow?" Ozpin asked, "My students will be arriving soon."

"And I got another one for you right here." Qrow nodded at Jaune, surprising both Ozpin and Glynda.

"I see…" Ozpin said, looking at Jaune attentively causing the blond to shuffle, "And who exactly is this?"

"Jaune," Qrow replied easily, "Haven't figured out the last name yet. He's my apprentice."

Ozpin's (and Glynda's) eyebrows practically vanished into their hairlines as they considered Qrow's words. Qrow hadn't lied to Jaune when he said he was one of the best Huntsmen in the world, and the two of them knew it as well. But apart from the coaching the man had given Ruby Rose, Qrow was not someone they expected to take on an apprentice. He was hard to get along with, a perpetual drunk, and incessantly vulgar; most people didn't like him when they met him, and they wouldn't be to blame. Not to mention Qrow tended to hate other people as well.

"I wasn't aware you had taken an apprentice," Glynda said carefully, giving Jaune a curious look.

"It's been three months now," Qrow said. Ozpin crossed his fingers contemplatively.

"Three months of training with you," Ozpin considered, "And how long has young Jaune been training to be Huntsman?"

"Three months," Qrow repeated, chuckling slightly. Jaune winced as Glynda clicked her tongue in annoyance as she glared at Qrow again.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Qrow?" she asked angrily, "Wasting our time for someone with _three months_ of training? Someone without even a last name?"

Silence descended in the room as Jaune thought for a horrific moment that they would refuse his admittance. Qrow _said_ they'd admit him, he was so _sure_!

"Branwen."

"What?" Glynda asked, looking as shocked as Jaune felt.

"He's not my kid or anything," Qrow said quietly, "But 'til I find his real last name, he can use mine. I don't mind."

Nobody else in the room knew what to say at the gesture. It was out of Qrow's depth that he took this so seriously. It was usually a rare occurrence reserved for family and closest friends. Jaune especially felt… he wasn't sure how he felt about it, especially when Qrow grinned like he had thought of something brilliant.

"Hey, we can say he's Raven's little bastard kid," he said gleefully, snapping his fingers, "Let's say she was a little careless when drunk and seducing random men. I'm sure she'll appreciate it when when she finds out."

Glynda just rolled her eyes. Knowing Raven's personality from when she last met the woman over seventeen years ago, she knew exactly how much she'd appreciate it.

"If you're sure about this Qrow," Ozpin said, ignoring his remark, "I do trust you. Very well, we'll get Jaune Branwen's application ready for initiation."

"Told ya, kid," Qrow said turning to the blond with a wink, ruffling his long, golden hair. For once, Jaune wasn't annoyed at the gesture.

"I know he looks like a girl with the hair, Glynda, but he's definitely a male. Don't wanna get that wrong," he said, "Listen kid, I'm gonna take care of the paperwork with these two up here, and I'll let them know about finding your family, so why don't you take the elevator down and wait for a bit. I'm sure Glynda will be there soon."

"O- okay," Jaune said, speaking for the first time, "Thank you for admitting me, Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch."

"At least your apprentice is polite," Glynda said, sniffing at the man. She gave Jaune a neutral look, which for her was pretty much a giant smile.

"Shit, wait," Qrow said, calling out to Jaune, "I almost forgot. Here."

Qrow withdrew his weapon, handing it over to the blond.

"You want me to hold your weapon for you now?" Jaune asked sardonically, "Am I your pack mule?"

"Not my weapon anymore, kid," Qrow replied quietly, "It's yours. Take care of it."

"Wha-?"

"It's the only weapon you know how to use, and you're gonna need it to survive here," Qrow said, "I got another one. You're my apprentice kid, and everybody's gonna know it now. Don't make me look like shit."

Glynda and Ozpin felt possibly more shocked than they had ever in their lives. Qrow taking an apprentice was one thing, but sentimentality for someone he knew for only three months? Giving his weapon, something Huntsman and Huntresses held onto as their lifeline? If there was one thing they could conclude about Qrow, he wasn't short on bringing commotion into their lives. And headaches.

"I don't know what to say," Jaune said, looking at the silver sword, "Hey, how much lien do you think I can get for it?"

Qrow grinned at him.

"Little brat," he said fondly, "I taught you well. Now get the hell out of here. Weapon or no weapon, I can still kick your ass."

Once Jaune left with his new weapon in hand, Qrow turned to the two professors.

"Who is he?" Ozpin asked immediately after Jaune was gone, "You wouldn't take just anyone as your apprentice, let alone give them Reaper without a good reason."

"I came across him in the Wilds near Mistral," Qrow said, starting what he knew would be an unbelievable story, "I heard some rumors about some friendly Grimm and decided to investigate."

As he expected, Glynda didn't believe it in the slightest, though Ozpin kept a neutral expression.

"Well, I found Jaune. He was able to command some sort of blue-eyed Grimm, looked like a Beowolf without it's spikes," Qrow explained.

"His semblance?" Glynda asked, going straight for the same conclusion that Qrow had also assumed. Qrow shook his head.

"It's not his semblance," he said, "His aura wasn't even activated. Still isn't now that I think about it."

"Wha- wait, you trained that child for three months _in your style_ and didn't even activate his aura?" Glynda asked, reprimand forthcoming, "That was extremely reckless of you!"

Qrow waved off her concern.

"Hey, I told him about it and we- meaning I- decided it was best that he find a way to do it himself in the good old-fashioned way," Qrow said, "He survived, didn't he? I'm sure he'll figure it out. Or find someone to do it for him I guess. Whatever."

"What then was the origin of the blue-eyed Grimm," Ozpin asked quietly, getting back to the matter at hand.

"Well, I saw it with my own two eyes, several times in fact," Qrow started, "He uses his blood to turn them."

"What?" Ozpin asked sharply, his eyes narrowing.

"Typically makes a cut somewhere on his body, usually on his hands or arms and drops some blood on a Grimm. Hurts them for a bit, but their eyes go blue and he has complete control of them after the process. He calls them Vespers," Qrow explained, "And it's not just that. It makes up for their weaknesses as well. I've seen a single Beowolf overpower an Ursa, I've seen that same Ursa move faster than I've ever seen an Ursa move. After about eighteen hours, the Vesper dies and vanishes. If he skins them before they vanish, he can even keep the fur permanently."

"That is…" Ozpin said, trailing off as he stared at his desk. Qrow turned to Glynda.

"You might want to get down to him before he does something stupid," Qrow said, making her nod in acquiesce, "But let me give you some advice."

Qrow took a deep breath, hating that he had to have this conversation. He liked to let things play out for themselves, but this was some extremely explosive dust they were playing with, and he couldn't take the chance someone lit the fuse.

"His history isn't… pleasant," Qrow said, thinking about the kid's past, "Typical shit at first. Kids caught unaware by Grimm. His sisters escaped but he got caught. He was bitten and the Grimm drew his blood, which of course turned it into a Vesper. So instead of eating him, it dragged him away in some shitty attempt to protect him. He woke up in the Wilds."

"What the Wilds do to children…" Glynda said, looking sad. Qrow snorted.

"Not a normal Wildling," Qrow said, "He turns Grimm. People run at the first sight of them. I was the first person he actually had any physical contact with in eight years. Imagine it, growing up in the Wilds with only Grimm."

Glynda didn't want to imagine it. It was almost too horrible to consider, living with soulless beings, the _anathema_ of life.

"He took to me too quick," Qrow said, "Of course he was wary at first, but I didn't think he'd open up to me as quick as he did. It's a good thing I got to him before someone else did. Eight fucking years. We got lucky."

"Poor child," Glynda said sorrowfully, a rare sight.

"I knew I had to bring him here," he said, looking back to Ozpin, "If I had to guess, he's probably another one of your fairy tales, Ozpin. A boy that can convert the unholy Grimm, ha!"

"I'll keep an eye on him during his time at Beacon," Glynda promised, "If he can truly turn Grimm as you say, then who knows how valuable he'll be. Of course, we should get his aura activated as soon as possible."

Glynda glared at him with her parting comment before heading to the elevator, going down to meet up with Jaune who was hopefully still there. Qrow just sighed, waiting for Ozpin to say something.

"Well?" he asked, "What kind of legend do you got Ozpin? What is he?"

Ozpin looked at Qrow with uncertainty in his gaze and Qrow was baffled at the sight; he'd never seen Ozpin like this before. Qrow sat down in a chair, instinctively knowing he'd need a drink.

"He is an impossibility, Qrow," the headmaster of Beacon said, speaking in whispers. Ozpin set down his glasses, looking Qrow in the eyes.

"I haven't the slightest clue."

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** That _fin_ at the end there denotes the end of the first part, Blood 1-1 and that the next update will be Blood 1-2.

And to address a small discrepancy: Jaune isn't exactly a feral child. As mentioned briefly in the previous chapter, he was nine years old when he got separated from his family, so he's capable of speaking. By the time this scene comes around, he's spent the last three months with Qrow, so he's picked up on some speech patterns. More information regarding Jaune's time in the Wilds will be revealed as the story progresses, but they'll be kind of subtle so you might have to squint to catch on.

Leave a review or comment with your thoughts! Next update is schedule for March 9 EST. Due to some apparent restrictions on FFnet, updates are going to posted slightly over twenty-four hours so the listing actually shows up on the first page of the RWBY section.

knuckz


	5. Blood 1-2 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.2**

 **i**

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch wasn't one to make small talk with just any of her students. She had always retained a professional distance from them, at least as much as was feasibly possible in school where students learned to fight in life or death situations. Jaune was hardly the first special student she had run into; Ruby Rose was one example, the daughter of Summer Rose and like Jaune, personally trained by Qrow as well.

As she glanced at the nervous blond, she knew it just wasn't the same with him. An outlandish story of controlling Grimm, but as annoying as Qrow was, she trusted him enough to believe it despite her misgivings. But for a nine-year-old to grow up alone in the Wilds, with nothing but the Grimm for companions…

Glynda had to suppress a shiver at the thought.

Still, it was one thing to rescue him, though Glynda applauded Qrow for just that alone, and another thing for him to take the child on as an apprentice. Qrow taught Ruby Rose to fight, how to use a scythe, but the girl was family.

Qrow taking on Jaune as an apprentice was him declaring his legacy. Qrow was perhaps not spoken about in terms of popularity in the general public but he was a renowned Huntsman in all the right circles. Once word got out about Jaune, people would be curious and she only hoped the boy would be able to cope.

"How was your time with Qrow?" Glynda asked, watching as the boy jumped slightly at being addressed.

Jaune wet his lips, thinking of what to say about Qrow without _sounding_ like Qrow.

"It was…" Jaune struggled to find an answer. Glynda felt amused at his hesitation.

"Don't worry, I understand completely," Glynda said, giving the young man a break, "I've known Qrow for longer than you've been alive. He hasn't changed much since he was a student here. Well, not for the better at least."

Jaune smiled weakly at her.

"He's really good," Jaune said, "When I first saw him, I thought he'd be an easy mark but he told me he knew where I was the entire time."

"An easy mark?" Glynda questioned, thinking sadly of what the boy might have had to do to survive out there. Jaune froze at his slip up.

"Hey, it's alright," Glynda told him soothingly, "Qrow told us a bit about what you've been through, nobody holds it against you. That part of your life is over now so put it out of your mind."

Jaune nodded thankfully, glad he hadn't upset the woman.

"Though if I find out you 'marked' any of your peers here, you'll have me to answer to young man," Glynda warned him sternly. Jaune just smiled at her, understanding the woman a little bit better now.

"Do you understand the significance of Qrow giving you his weapon, Jaune?" Glynda asked him.

"I think so," Jaune replied quietly, "Like he said, he taught me how to fight with it. I don't really have a weapon of my own to fight with so Reaper is the only thing I would know how to use. And he has another, I think."

"You'll shortly find out what a weapon means to a Huntsman or Huntress when you meet your classmates," Glynda told him, "There are a few rare exceptions such as myself, but the overwhelming majority of Huntsmen forge their own weapons. Everybody has their own personal style and a unique weapon to go along with that style. Our weapons are as much our partners as our teammates are. Qrow gave you his weapon, and that shows just how much trust he put in you."

"You're hardly the first apprentice to a Huntsman to attend this school," Glynda finished, "But this is the first I've ever heard of one receiving his master's weapon instead of forging his own. It speaks volumes and it will be up to you to show us what that truly means."

"Thank you for telling me," Jaune said with dawning understanding, "Just… please never call Qrow my master."

Glynda laughed in what she felt like was the first time in years.

"I understand completely," she said, repeating her words from earlier as she looked at the boy kindly. She felt she understood exactly why Qrow decided to take the kid on as an apprentice. At first glance, he certainly didn't seem much different than most other kids she knew. Knowing his history definitely put the blond's personality into perspective.

To come from his isolation to where he was now was nothing short of spectacular and Glynda couldn't help but admire the child's perseverance. But she could see through his bravado as well and hoped that he would weather the coming trials.

She could see the best of Qrow in him and couldn't wait to see who Jaune truly was.

"Come along now Mr Branwen," Glynda said, "We'll find you a locker to store your weapon and your belongings. I would advise you remember the number for it or store it on your scroll in case you forget."

"Scroll?"

"You don't have a scroll?" Glynda asked, feeling that familiar annoyance bubble up, "Honestly, what is Qrow thinking? The nerve of that man."

"I will get you a scroll," Glynda informed him, "Would I be correct in assuming you don't have anything to wear other than clothes you have on now?"

She sighed when Jaune smiled apologetically at her.

"I'm afraid you'll have to make do for the time being," Glynda informed him, "After your initiation, you can head down to Vale and pick up some clothes along with other necessities. I'll arrange for the funds, from Qrow's own pockets if need be."

"The students should be arriving within an hour, I'd advise perhaps meeting them and mingling with your peers before Professor Ozpin's speech," Glynda said, "Now, just one last order of business."

Glynda watched as Jaune put away his weapon into the locker, memorizing the number.

"Yes, Glynda?"

"Professor Goodwitch," Glynda chastised lightly, "Qrow informed us that he hadn't unlocked your aura. If you'd like, I can do that for you."

Jaune hesitated, not sure if he wanted to do it.

"I don't think I will. Qrow told me about aura," Jaune said, "That nowadays, people could activate someone's aura by using their own. But he said there was a certain… power in unlocking it naturally. That I would just know when the time comes."

Glynda considered it.

"He's right," she said, "Though not in the way you might think. Having your aura unlocked naturally doesn't make it any more powerful than having someone unlock it for you. It requires a sense of… self-discovery if you will. People can go their whole lives without ever activating their aura."

"Knowledge of self, learning who you truly are isn't an easy feat, it isn't something you can just grasp physically," Glynda said, "There isn't a surefire way, no easy method to just know who you are or what you truly are meant to be. Certainly, if accomplished at your age it deserves nothing but the deepest admiration, knowing what you were meant to do and what you were meant to be."

"I'll respect your wishes in this regard," Glynda said finally, "But take this as my first advice to you as your Professor: don't wait too long. Aura is the manifestation of our soul. Allow yours to protect you before it becomes too late. Learning who you are can always come later."

"Thank you, Professor," Jaune replied as he pondered her words.

"Now, now, Mr Branwen," Glynda said, smiling at him, "It's only the first of many things I will teach you. What would Qrow think if he heard you thanking me so easily?"

Jaune snorted.

"Point taken."

* * *

 **Notes:** A little fleshing out of Glynda's character. She doesn't really get much attention in the series apart from 'serious teacher', but here she has a closer bond with Jaune.

In regards to aura: it's mentioned to be mainly defensive in nature more so than an offensive ability. Jaune's decision to not unlock his aura stems from his interactions with Qrow and is something very significant to his psyche and way of thinking. More will be revealed as the story progresses, but this particular issue will be resolved by the time initiation is over. Next updates is scheduled for March 10th EST.

Thanks for the reviews, leave another!

knuckz


	6. Blood 1-2 - scene ii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.2**

 **ii**

* * *

Jaune saw the giant dust-ship land with slight trepidation. It worried him two-fold: first that he'd ever have to ride in a death-contraption of that size, and second that the people he'd be spending at least the next four years with were on that ship.

Throughout his travels with Qrow, they spent a lot of time together and Jaune got to know the man very well. It had been a step up from complete seclusion but they hadn't travelled to heavily populated areas. Prior to meeting Qrow, Jaune was practically incapable of protecting himself from the Grimm without the aid of his Vespers, and his Vespers scared people away. With Qrow however, he found himself not needing that same protection as Qrow was more than competent to protect both of them. Unlike the stragglers he saw while in the Wilds, the ones that always seemed to run away, Qrow was the only one that stayed and became a fast friend.

Though he did meet a few people on the dust-ship to Beacon, Qrow and maybe Glynda were the only two he had formed any sort of connection with. Qrow said there were a lot of people that went to Beacon, and Jaune could understand that given the size of the place.

Jaune watched silently as the doors opened and a gaggle of people walked out. No, not just people. His peers, his future comrades.

He stood still, slightly apprehensive at the size of the crowd approaching him. There was no way he'd befriend so many people, but he looked at the carefree faces getting closer and felt his heartbeat quicken in excitement.

The first group was right beside him!

And walked right past. As did the second. And third, and fourth. Jaune stood there like a statue as everyone, _everyone_ just kept walking, not acknowledging him past a few glances here and there. Nobody stopped, not to ask for his name or to introduce themselves, not even to ask for directions or the time. Just laughs and smiles that didn't include him.

Jaune caught snippets of conversation, some too fast for him to keep track of. Conversations he wasn't a part of.

"PANCAKES!"

"-hope everything goes okay, I-"

"Wow! The view from Vale's got nothing on this!"

Eventually the students exiting the ship slowed down to a trickle, all the way to the last person who ran out, apparently worried about being late to their team meeting.

Not a single person had stopped for him.

"Nothing new, Jaune," he muttered to himself, feeling foolish as he was the only person still near the ship. Walking away glumly, Jaune followed the crowd to where he knew Ozpin would soon be giving his speech.

Near the center of the courtyard, he witnessed some sort of altercation between a small girl in a red hood and another dressed in pure white. Slowing down, he watched the two argue from afar, witnessing a third girl wearing a black bow cause one of them to storm off.

The shortest of the three collapsed, lying on the ground as the dark-haired girl stalked off as well.

Perhaps catching someone alone was best?

Jaune approached the girl finally catching sight of her face. She wasn't just short he realized as he got closer, she was _younger_. Qrow had told him Beacon only accepted students of a certain age, which meant she just looked younger or was also a special case.

"Welcome to Beacon," she muttered as he got closer. Before Jaune could help her off the ground, the girl stood up, brushing some dust off of her skirt.

"Darn it Yang, why'd you ditch me?" she said to herself, pouting as she looked towards the assembly hall.

"Uhh…" Jaune wasn't sure what to say to get her attention, but Ruby jumped away from him at the noise, her hands held in a faux-karate stance.

"What the!?" she exclaimed, before realizing what she was doing and blushing in embarrassment, "Oh, sorry. Are you lost as well?"

Before Jaune could muster up any sort of reply, the girl pointed down the centre to where Jaune knew they had to go.

"Come on!" she said, running away. Jaune sighed as he ran after her. She hadn't let him get even one word in.

When they reached the hall, Jaune could see the new first years had already lined up.

"My name's Ruby Rose, what's yours?" the girl told him, making Jaune smile slightly. Finally he could introduce himself.

"Jau-"

"Ruby!" a long-haired blonde called out, interrupting him, "Over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Coming!" Ruby replied, quickly turning back to Jaune, "It was nice meeting you, I'll see you around maybe!"

Jaune watched the girl take off, feeling a bit melancholy. He just sighed, shaking his head. Ignoring his pathetic attempts at speaking to someone, Jaune resigned himself to being alone and walked to the back of the room near the wall, waiting for Ozpin's speech.

"Ahem, I'll keep this brief," Ozpin started, gathering everyone's attention. Jaune witnessed the room immediately go quiet. The Headmaster of Beacon clearly was very well respected if he was able silence a room of this many people with only a few words.

"You are all here today in search of knowledge," Ozpin said, "To hone yourselves and acquire new skills. And when you graduate from Beacon, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. However, amassing knowledge like you intend to do is just wasted energy. I see young men and women in need of purpose. Of direction. Do not assume knowledge will save anything; it can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Jaune saw the mood of all the gathered students; Ozpin's speech was obviously not what they expected. It wasn't happy, it didn't exactly inspire confidence. It was… a warning he realized.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight," Glynda said, stepped forward to the mic, "Your initiation is tomorrow. Be ready. You're dismissed."

When the students began speaking to one another, Jaune just sighed as he gave up his attempts to 'mingle' as Glynda had suggested. He leaned against the wall, resting his eyes as he waited for the crowds to start heading to the ballroom so he at least wouldn't be the only one there.

It was a few hours later that Jaune entered the giant room a little late. He noticed the room had already been cleared for all the students to use, an assortment of extra sleeping bags stacked along the edge of the room as well as some odds and ends here and there. Most students were preparing for bed, some already in their sleepwear.

Nobody was really sleeping; there were a few people trying perhaps, but most of the students were still talking to one another, a few of them scrawling in their journals or reading books by the candlelight.

Jaune couldn't for the life of him understand why people were so… social! How could they find so much to talk about?

Repressing a wistful sigh, Jaune exited the room to get some air. He didn't want to go to bed just yet, doing nothing but listen to them yap on and on.

"Jaune?"

Glynda approached him, peering at him as she frowned.

"What are you doing out here? You should be preparing for tomorrow," she scolded. Jaune actually appreciated it a bit. Qrow wasn't one to tell him what to do outside of training. Glynda sounded like she actually cared about him, something he had never really experienced. Maybe his parents or his sisters had cared about him but he didn't really remember them.

"Had to get away," he said, "I'd rather not sit there listen to them talk about… whatever useless shit they're talking about."

Glynda's eyes narrowed at his curse but she didn't reprimand him.

"I believe it's called 'small talk'," she said, but Jaune just shrugged.

"Well, it's dumb," he shot back, "Besides, not like anyone really bothered to speak to me. Might as well have been invisible."

Glynda closed her eyes momentarily in frustration. Yet another complication, but she couldn't just _make_ people be friends with him. There was no place for her to interfere. Or was there?

Glynda walked over to a nearby bench, taking a seat and patting the space beside her, signalling her fellow blond to follow. Jaune did as she wanted, sitting and leaning back against the cool stone wall.

"You know, Jaune," she started, "In my time here, I've met quite a lot of people. Some I knew only just, others were good friends. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that it doesn't matter how fast or slowly you make new friends. Good friendships aren't forged in a day."

"I miss being out there sometimes," Jaune confessed quietly, "It was easier, I think. Didn't have to get my hopes up too much."

"But you're here now," Glynda replied, "You wouldn't have said yes to Qrow if you didn't truly desire this."

"I guess," Jaune said glumly.

"They may be strangers right now," she said, "But I believe there was a saying of one of my old friends, Chloe: strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

The words stirred something inside of Jaune but he ignored it, looking at her skeptically. Glynda just laughed.

"Give it time, Jaune. Just go out there and be yourself, like you are here with me. Besides, you haven't even met your teammates yet," she told him, smiling, "I promise you, you'll form friendships that'll last through this life and probably even the next."

"Yeah, yeah," Jaune said, a small grin on his face, "Don't get all sappy on me now."

"And…" Glynda said, hesitating slightly, "If you have any problems, or just ever want to talk, feel free to come see me. I can't say I'll always be free, but…"

"I appreciate it," Jaune said, grateful, "Thanks Glynda."

"Professor Goodwitch," she corrected sternly, "Now go to bed! You want to be refreshed tomorrow morning for initiation."

Jaune nodded, standing up and heading back to the ballroom.

"Good night," he called out to her, leaving her line of sight as he exited the hallway. Glynda stared at the spot she saw him last for a moment, her face stoic.

"Good night, Jaune."

* * *

 **Notes:** So, Jaune finally meets people his own age, but things don't go his way and some of his insecurities are coming to light.

As always, thanks for the reviews and leave another. Next update is scheduled for March 11th EST.

knuckz


	7. Blood 1-2 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.2**

 **iii**

* * *

"Brats all settled in?"

"They're restless but I believe all of them are in bed," Glynda said, "It's the same every year. Nobody goes into initiation without some sort of worries. What have you discovered about Jaune?"

Qrow and Ozpin didn't say anything immediately, exchanging silent looks.

"Ozpin doesn't know what he is," Qrow told her, "Apparently there really is a first time for everything."

"It has become important that we find out who he really is," Ozpin said, taking a sip from his mug, "We don't know if Jaune is unique or if the ability lies within the blood of his family."

"So I'll be taking a trip to Mistral to see what I can find," Qrow said, "He was in the Wilds near there when I found him so chances are his family lived there. But I also got my previous mission to take care of. We're still no closer to finding the people that attacked Autumn."

"Surely it shouldn't be too hard to find his family?" she questioned, "I'm sure we can find some sort of old news report about missing children."

"If he was even reported," he replied, "We don't know what his family was like. I'm sure we'd like it if it was all sunshine and rainbows but what if finding them makes things worse?"

"What do you mean, Qrow?" Glynda asked, her voice slightly raised, "You think his parents… threw him away?"

"He barely remembers what happened," the younger Huntsman replied, "But what I got was that mommy and daddy were at the very least neglectful, letting their kids play alone in places full of Grimm. He said his sisters were teasing him. Was that just kids being kids or something more?"

"So, what, he was abused before he was taken by the Grimm?" the blonde argued back, "Don't you think you're jumping at shadows here?"

"I'm not saying anything," Qrow responded, "I'm considering different possibilities, not just jumping in head first. He's not some random estranged Wildling, not anymore. This needs extensive investigation, not tearful emotions and puppies."

"I'm afraid Qrow is correct," Ozpin cut in, "This matter requires covertness and delicacy. We must tread very lightly here."

"He deserves to know, Ozpin," the Huntress shot back fiercely, "We shouldn't keep knowledge about his family from him just because they _might_ have abused him. He should at least be informed."

"And let's say he wants to meet them and they decide to take him away," Ozpin said calmly, "If they say they want him home and he wants to go. Can we really let him leave?"

"What- what do you mean?" Glynda asked, sounding astonished, "We can't keep him here against his will!"

"You said it yourself: he's valuable. If the kid turns out to be the solution against the Grimm; no, even if he's just the first step to finding out what they are or how to really beat them, then we need him here," Qrow said. Glynda paused at the thought. She didn't like it, but they did have a point.

She clenched her fists, thinking of the conversation she just had with the blond. As much as he acted like Qrow, she could see that Jaune was an earnest person. He had been so _alone_ and all he desired was companionship. He wanted friends, family.

"He's already struggling," she said, "Nobody bothered to befriend him at all and he was ready to give up, resigned that he was somehow doomed to be alone. I had to convince him to keep trying. Despite all that false bravado he's picked up from you, he just… he's…"

"You've been compromised," Qrow interrupted, narrowing his eyes. Glynda wasn't sure she heard him right.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You actually let him get to you," Qrow said, smirking, "You heard his sob story, a little boy all alone with the Grimm, and it wedged open your heart."

"Qrow…" Glynda warned dangerously but the man wasn't deterred.

"Where's that famed aloofness, Glynda?" he teased, "Your maternal instincts kicking in?"

Glynda angrily grit her teeth not necessarily because the man was annoying (he was), but because there was some truth to his words. Glynda didn't have children of her own and she was very much married to her job. Her students were enough trouble for her. The pity she felt for Jaune, as much as he might not appreciate being pitied, had awakened old feelings in her that she had closed off for so long.

"No need to get your panties in a twist. It's… good," Qrow said.

"What?"

"The kid doesn't need indifference, he needs people that he can trust," Qrow explained, "People that can actually show him that they care. I can teach him to be a better fighter, but I can't give him that."

Glynda felt her ire diminish, slightly surprised at the man's insight. The three fell into a comfortable silence and Glynda thought about what they would do next. They were caught up in so many things, and as Qrow's apprentice not to mention because of his abilities, she knew Jaune would inevitably be involved as well.

"You're kinda quiet there, Oz," Qrow mentioned. Ozpin finished off his coffee, setting down the mug. He did look very preoccupied with something. Glynda could only imagine what was going through his head.

"I'm thinking," Ozpin said, quietly.

"Heh, don't tell me you're gonna fall to pieces," the red-eyed man said, chuckling at the thought, "It's been a long time since you've come across something you have no clue about, is it?"

"Qrow!" Glynda admonished, but Ozpin chuckled.

"I suppose you're right," he said, "At my age, I'd forgotten that life always finds a way to surprise you."

"You're not that old, Ozpin," the other man said, "Don't go killing yourself off."

Ozpin just smiled knowingly, not bothering to respond to the man's teasing.

"When will you be leaving for Mistral?"

"I think I'll stick around for my idiot apprentice's initiation," he said, leaning back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, "I'm also curious about what Ruby or Yang will do when they see him with Reaper."

"Speaking of your apprentice," Glynda spoke up again, "You couldn't get him some extra clothes?"

Qrow just waved her away uncaringly.

"Hey, at least I got him something. You should've seen him when I first found him," Qrow responded, "Wrapped from head to toe in Grimm fur. Kid even took my cape."

* * *

 **Notes:** A little lower on word count, but this also sets the tone for the other characters and provides some background info. Still, as per the RWBY subreddit, it's fanfiction Friday (though I doubt this fic will be mentioned :( )!

People have pointed out a few 'plot holes', regarding Ruby not noticing her uncle's weapon or Glynda knowing Jaune's mother. To point out, if you check out scene i of Blood 1.2, you'll see that Jaune has stored his weapon away in his locker as he was talking to Glynda. Thus, when he and Ruby meet, he doesn't have it on him. As far as Glynda knowing his mother, she only mentioned that Chloe was an old friend. There's no basis for thinking they were good friends or they've kept in touch etc..., and if Glynda really did know about her friend's missing/dead child, I think it would be a clear giveaway when a blond kid is found in the area her friend's son went missing, and for some reason has the same name. It's obviously not the case. Give me some credit here.

Thanks for the reviews! Next update scheduled for March 12th EST.

knuckz


	8. Blood 1-2 - scene iv

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.2**

 **iv**

* * *

Jaune's eyes snapped open as he awoke. Stifling a yawn, he rose from his makeshift bed as silently as possible. It was a habit from his days living in the Wilds, one that Qrow had told him to keep.

He was an early riser, he had to be. It was something he learned very quickly; he still had the scars from that lesson, hidden under his shirt. Stretching out, Jaune stalked around his sleeping classmates, noticing a few others were also up. He didn't think people would awaken earlier than he did; Qrow slept in more often than not and he had assumed that others would as well.

As he made his way to find a place to freshen up for the day, the blond noticed that the others probably had not gotten a lot of sleep judging by the tiredness he could see in their eyes. Qrow said he would have no problem with initiation as it took place in a forest and Jaune had relaxed a bit at hearing it. His mentor had assured him that there was nothing more dangerous in the Emerald Forest that Jaune wouldn't have encountered in the Wilds, and he had Qrow's training on top of it.

Once he had freshened up, Jaune left the ballroom and found himself in an empty hallway, the lights still on. The sun had yet to rise though Jaune knew there was less than half-an-hour before it was dawn. Unsure of exactly what he wanted to do until initiation, Jaune began wandering.

He blinked when he saw Glynda approach him, looking at him appraisingly.

"Good morning," she greeted with a smile, "Qrow told me you would be up this early. I wasn't sure whether to believe him."

"Morning," Jaune greeted back, "Force of habit, I'm a light sleeper."

Glynda's smile strained a bit, but she didn't break it.

"Well, maybe you might want to sleep in late sometimes," she said, "It's always good to let go once in a while."

"I think Qrow does that more than enough for both us," he said, making her chuckle, "Do you need help with anything?"

"I'm actually here to speak to you," his teacher informed him, "First to deliver your very own personal scroll. Here you are."

Glynda gave Jaune a rectangular device he had seen his mentor use before. Taking it from the woman, he inspected it curiously before placing it in his pocket. He wasn't sure of it's capabilities beyond telling the time and calling others, but the blond didn't have anyone to call. It didn't exactly interest him.

"Has Qrow spoken to you in regards to your… Vespers?" Glynda asked him, recalling their name. Jaune nodded in the affirmative.

"He mainly asked about how it worked, what they can do," he replied, "For example, if I convert a Grumpy Pup, it gets stronger to make up for it's weakness. When I convert a Snuggabear, it gets a lot faster to make up for its slowness."

Glynda blinked, having no idea what he was talking about. She opened her mouth to ask him, but thought better of it and decided to not get involved.

"Did he mention how unique your ability is?" she asked.

"He told me that he'd never seen anyone do what I can," Jaune told her, "That I should use it very carefully when we got to Beacon."

"Nobody really knows where the Grimm come from," the bespectacled woman said, her voice taking a practiced lecturing tone, "We know they've been around for as long as anyone can remember. Knowing that someone is able to control them will make people wary. It was fortunate that Qrow found you, it is fortunate that you are here with us now Jaune, but not everyone is as patient as we are. Some have the tendency to react violently."

"Be very careful who you show it to," she warned him, "Qrow might fool around but when he wanted you admitted to Beacon, it was based on your skill in combat, not this ability that you have. I recommend you avoid using it unless you have dire use of it."

"I can't really control it," Jaune told her, "If I bleed onto a Grimm, it'll turn into a Vesper. I can't stop that."

Glynda looked at him for a moment, wondering how to broach her next suggestion.

"If you unlock your aura," she said slowly, "perhaps it would be less of a concern. Aura can protect you from cuts."

Jaune smiled at her, shaking his head in the negative.

"May I ask why it is you don't want your aura unlocked?"

"Qrow did give me a choice when he taught me about aura," he explained, "But when he told me about his own experience…"

Realization dawned on Glynda. Perhaps the boy was more attached to Qrow than they had thought. It… really spoke volumes of the bond between the two.

"I didn't think Qrow still believed," she commented.

"He said he didn't," Jaune replied, "But I don't think he rejected it entirely. Or at least, that's the feeling I got from him."

Glynda still thought that the blue-eyed blond should have his aura unlocked, but decided then that she'd stop trying to persuade him. It was ultimately something between the apprentice and his master.

"Come on," she said, turning and walking down the hallway, "I'll escort you to the cafeteria. It's a bit early but perhaps we can have breakfast together."

After breakfast was over, Glynda decided to give Jaune a small tour of Beacon, showing him the classes, the dormitories, and where her office was. More time had passed than they realized and Jaune realized most of his colleagues would be awake by now. Thanking her, Jaune went back to the ballroom, his spirits lifted.

"It's her! Hey!"

The girl he had briefly met yesterday ran up to him, stopping a few feet in front of him with another blonde behind her.

"Hello friend! It's me, Ruby! Remember?" she asked, introducing herself again. Jaune did remember.

"Hello," Jaune greeted back. The taller girl grinned at him, making him feel slightly nervous.

"Wow Ruby, you were right. Even has a cape kind of like yours," she said, causing the younger girl to begin shushing her.

"I'm Ruby's older sister. The name's Yang," she said, winking at him as she held out her hand for Jaune to shake. He was slightly taken aback at her forwardness, but couldn't help but feel a little relieved that the day had started off on a positive note.

"I'm Jaune," he replied, finally introducing himself.

"Odd name. But hey, I _love_ the hair," she gushed as Jaune took her hand, "We need to trade some hair care tips, how about it?"

"Uh, sure," he said, unsure what kind of tips he could provide.

"Ha, we are going to be great friends. Ruby was right though," Yang said, grinning mischievously at her younger companion, "You have a long way to go if you wanna be like me."

The girl tapped his chest as she laughed at her embarrassed sister who tried to hide under her hood. Yang took Jaune's bandaged hand and put it on her chest, causing his eyes to almost pop out in shock.

"Get a good feel, fellow blonde," she said, giving him a saucy wink as she walked away, "I'm sure you'll get there one day."

"Yang!" Ruby squealed, looking mortified, "I'm so sorry Jaune."

"Sis! How could you do that!? Yaaaang!"

Jaune watched, nonplussed, as the girl took off after her shameless sister. He didn't really understand what exactly had happened. Was that how people greeted each other? Qrow had talked about how the younger generation always had some sort of new trend going on, but he had no idea his age group was so risqué.

The blond just shook his head, deciding to just be happy he had made some new friends as he made his way after them.

When he arrived in the locker room, there were only a few students left. He had apparently missed both Yang and Ruby, just barely catching sight of the elder sister's golden hair as she left the room. Checking his scroll, he saw that the time for initiation was fast approaching so he decided to grab his weapon and head out himself. But completely froze when he saw something that made his heart stop.

Everything, _everything_ else faded. Everything but this… _goddess_.

"I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together?"

And her _amazing_. _Red_. _HAIR_.

"Well, that sounds grand."

It was a breathtaking red, tantalizing locks of silk framed by a golden circlet. He moved forward as if on autopilot, completely ignoring the silver-haired girl's attempts at cajoling these amazing crimson locks into a team. It was calling him, hypnotic and unresistable.

Jaune reached out and lightly gripped the ponytail, marveling at their lustre.

"Excuse me?"

And it all came to a screeching halt as he realized exactly what he just did.

Green eyes peered at him curiously, thankfully not upset as he spied a polite smile on her face. The other girl did seem affronted but Jaune just ignored her as he stood stock still, mortified.

What should he do in this situation? Suddenly remembering Qrow's words about trends and Yang's greeting, he did the only thing that made sense.

"Hello," Jaune greeted her, "My name's Jaune."

And he reached out and placed his hand on her chest.

"Maybe we can trade hair-care tips?"

The girl's smile froze as she went motionless, not freaking out about the hand on her chest but also completely mystified and unsure on what to do. The other girl reacted enough for the two of them.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what do you think you're _doing!?_ " she yelled at him. Jaune took his hand away as if scalded.

"Did I do it wrong?" he asked worriedly, "I'm so sorry, I'm… not from around here. I don't really know the greetings."

"What do you mean 'the greetings'?" she asked, disbelief and outrage in her voice, "Do you even know who she is?"

Jaune wanted the ground to rise up and swallow him whole. Did he just offend someone really important? The daughter of a government official or something? Could she get him kicked out of Beacon for this?

"Sorry, I don't know," he apologized again, feeling worried that he had done something to jeopardize his future at the school, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"She's Pyrrha Nikos!"

Jaune just shook his head; there was absolutely no way he could know. There wasn't a single celebrity he would know of.

The red-head seemed to have broken out of her trance, still feeling slightly awkward but now looking at Jaune curiously. She raised her hand in greeting.

"Hello Jaune," she said.

"Are you the daughter of a government official or something?" he asked, reflecting his earlier thoughts, "I didn't mean anything by it."

"A- a government official?" the other girl interjected, "She's the four-time winner of the Mistral regional tournament! She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum! How dare you just, _molest_ her like this!?"

"It's okay Weiss," Pyrrha said, hoping to calm the girl down, "Jaune did apologize. I think whoever taught you that greeting might have played a prank on you, Jaune. Let's just put it behind us."

Jaune smiled at her, relieved.

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you, Pyrrha. I hope we can be friends." He offered his hand and she clasped it firmly with her own, smiling brightly at him.

"I would love to be friends," she said jovially. Weiss just grumbled.

"Fine," she relented, "Just be more careful in the future. Even if you're a girl, you shouldn't just grab other women like that."

The blond tilted his head in confusion.

"Umm, actually, I'm male."

When he saw their faces redden, one in embarrassment and the other in anger, he couldn't help but think that perhaps he should have kept that fact to himself.

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** Hijinks!

If anyone is confused, Yang also mistook Jaune for a girl. We've previously established he looks like a girl with his long hair, and he apparently sounds like one as well. This is one place where this story kind of breaks off from canon, but it's kinda minor I'd say. If you want a mental image of Jaune, the one I had in mind while writing this was Kirito from Sword Art Online when he gets his GGO avatar but with slightly shorter hair (though taller and blond, I guess).

Thanks for the reviews, leave some more!

knuckz


	9. Blood 1-3 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.3**

 **i**

* * *

Jaune glumly stood near the end of the group, looking at the ground with just barely a pout on his face. Both Glynda and Ozpin were nearby, the headmaster as stoic as ever. He could see Glynda adopt a very professional attitude, looking at all the students impassively, though he did catch her giving him a small smile when he first showed up.

Fastening the parcel Qrow had given him around his shoulders, the blond stood patiently on the platform, waiting for them to get started. Jaune could see Ruby and Yang somewhere down near the middle though they didn't seem to notice him. Beside him stood Pyrrha Nikos, studiously not meeting his gaze. Her cheeks were still tinged pink but she had taken the revelation of his gender with much more grace than Weiss, whom the former had to soothe into not taking any egregious actions against him.

"I'm sure there has been a lot of talk regarding teams," Ozpin said, gathering the attentions of all the students, "Let me put your questions to rest. You will all be given your partners today, partners for the rest of your time here at Beacon."

There was some slight muttering, but nobody dared talk over the man.

"You will be launched into the Emerald Forest that sits behind us," Ozpin explained, "The first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the rest of your time here at Beacon. You are to make your way to a temple in the northern part of the forest where we have placed a relic for you to receive. Do not falter; there are dangers within the forest that will test you. Should you get careless, you _will_ die."

"You will be marked based on your landing strategy and performance. In order to pass however, all that is required is to retrieve one of the relics," Glynda explained, "Any questions?"

Jaune placed a hand on his pack to assure himself, he took a look around to see his classmates with determined looks on their faces. After what was probably a decade of training for them, they had likely been prepared for this day.

"Good," Glynda said, "Prepare yourselves."

One by one, the hopeful students were launched off the side of the cliff into the forest below. When it came to Pyrrha's turn, she suddenly swiveled her head to look at him, an unreadable expression in her gaze. It was… evaluating? Determined?

But it was only for a moment as she too was launched off, her stance picture perfect. Knowing he was next, Jaune prepared himself with slight trepidation as he stepped closer to the top of the platform. He felt an abrupt lurch beneath him that launched him off the ground and into the air with impossible speed, giving him more elevation than the others.

The wind whipped against his face but Jaune ignored it, wanting nothing but to be on the ground. He knew he had to time it right so he waited until he hit the apex of his rise. Grabbing the red cord dangling from his bag, he yanked it hard, resulting in a long string coming out with a large-print message tied to it. He felt his heart stop in sheer terror as he glanced at the note, barely making out the words.

'Wrong cord - Qrow'

" _YOU ASSHOLE!_ " he shrieked as he frantically searched for the other cord. Finding it, Jaune pulled with all his might, causing a parachute to billow out behind him, slowing his descent. His heart still thudded in his chest at the momentary fright but he let out a sigh of relief as he realized everything was going to be okay.

He was going to _kill_ Qrow.

As he slowly fell to the ground, Jaune noticed something odd. Because of the direction he was tossed off the cliff, he had been parachuting forward. However it seemed as if he was somehow changing direction mid-air. At first it was subtle, a slight tug from on his rear. Then he went almost perpendicular to his original path.

Jaune looked at the parachute to see if there was something on it that was doing this but as the tugging became more apparent, he realized it was coming from behind him. It was his weapon, Reaper.

Grabbing the handle, he pulled it out from behind his back. He spun slightly as the sword was dragging him over to where it seemed to want to go.

"What the hell?" he asked himself, no clue what was happening. But it was too late for him to change direction again as he was too close to the ground now. Jaune pulled off the parachute, letting himself fall to the forest floor in a crouch.

Moving swiftly to avoid being covered by it, Jaune inspected Reaper again trying to see what had happened. Before he could really discover anything, he heard a snapped twig from a bit aways and he moved swiftly, hiding from sight.

Walking through a bush, Pyrrha stepped forward to where he had been standing not so long ago. She had her weapons sheathed and looked as though she was searching for something much to Jaune's disappointment; did she not sense him? Weiss had mentioned she was a champion of some sort, but perhaps Qrow was right when he said that his classmates would have trouble with him.

"Jaune?" she called out, startling the blond. Jaune stepped out, silently approaching her.

"Hello," he said, making her jump.

"Oh! Jaune," she said, smiling at him, "You startled me. I was looking to see if I could find someone and I saw you land nearby."

"Yeah, it was kind of weird actually," Jaune said, frowning as he looked at Reaper again before finally sheathing it, "My parachute changed direction for some reason."

"That sounds odd," she said, something slightly off in her tone before she quickly changed the topic, "I guess this makes us partners!"

"Yeah," Jaune replied happily, almost not believing his luck in procuring the redheaded beauty as his partner, "I'm looking forward to us working together."

"And I as well," she said, still smiling, "Let's get going, shall we?"

The two of them walked side by side as they headed north to retrieve a relic. The Emerald Forest reminded him a little bit of the Wilds, giving him a slight feeling of nostalgia. On their way through the lush woods, Pyrrha seemed very curious about him which made Jaune apprehensive. He didn't really want to frighten her off with his rather troubling past.

"So you were very well prepared for today," Pyrrha mentioned, "What made you bring a parachute?"

"Ah, that…" Jaune said, chuckling weakly, "Well, I was kind of given a heads up about today. From my teacher."

"I see," Pyrrha said, "There is nothing wrong with that. It is important to gather information before one embarks on a mission. You should use whatever advantage you can."

"Oh! Yeah, that's what Qrow told me," Jaune replied, glad she didn't accuse him of cheating, "He sometimes likes to mess with me so I wasn't sure, but it worked out in the end I guess."

"I… see," she said when she clearly didn't, "You mentioned you weren't from around here. Where are you from?"

"O-oh, that," Jaune said, playing with a strand of his hair as he desperately wished for a change in topic, "Out near Mistral. I, uh, didn't get out much. How about you?"

"I'm from Mistral as well!" Pyrrha said excitedly, and then she said something that sounded like complete gibberish.

"Gero mero sanorik… sorry, what?" he asked, completely confused.

"Oh, you don't speak the language?" the redhead asked, sounding a bit let down. Jaune cringed inwardly. He didn't know they had a different language there.

"Um, I'm not exactly _from_ Mistral, just near," he said, "I actually lived in the Wilds."

"Ah, sorry," she said, but Jaune became determined to steer the conversation away from himself.

"So there's a different official language in Mistral?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, the official language is still English," she replied, "But there are a lot of people that still speak the language of our forefathers so as not to forget our culture. I thought perhaps you might know, but that's alright."

Jaune was about to ask her another question when he picked up on something… a familiar scent. He stopped walking abruptly, causing Pyrrha to look at him curiously.

"Jaune? What's-" Jaune interrupted her, putting a finger on his lips.

"Grimm."

He retrieved Reaper, causing Pyrrha to also grab her sword and shield. They stood there, waiting for the Grimm to appear. Jaune knew he couldn't fight as he would have in the Wilds. Thankfully, Qrow had taught him to fight without having to rely on his blood.

"Are you sure?" she asked him but he just ignored her.

"Wait here," he said, running into the forest. Pyrrha hesitated too long, torn between going with him or obeying his command, and he completely disappeared from sight. She was unable to go after him when a small pack of Beowolves emerged. Pyrrha quickly did a headcount, finding herself alone against the three growling beasts. She wasn't afraid of them; really, they were no match for her but Jaune had disappeared and she wasn't sure why.

Deciding to take care of the Grimm before finding her partner, Pyrrha switched her weapon into a gun, shooting at the Beowolves to scatter them. The group split up, trying to catch her in a pincer attack.

Switching her gun into a spear, she twirled around to gain momentum in her swing as she struck the closest Grimm across its body, completely cleaving through it. Dodging the next incoming struck with a backflip, Pyrrha struck downwards and impaled the flanking Grimm to the ground, completely piercing through it.

As the final Beowolf charged at her, Pyrrha finally switched the spear back into a sword, patiently await for the Grimm to get close enough to her as she readied her shield to bash it. A silver sword appeared from nowhere, surprising both her and the Grimm as it sliced through it's head. Looking at the blond that had come back, Pyrrha noticed the pleased smile he wore.

"All done," he said, collapsing the blade to its short form. Pyrrha just shook her head.

"There were only three, Jaune," she said, "They usually attack in groups of at least five."

"There were two more in waiting," he said, "I took care of them."

"Oh, well done," Pyrrha replied, looking pleasantly surprised. Jaune gave her a sly grin.

"Hey, that's my three kills to your two," he said teasingly, "Aren't you some sort of champion, or do they give those out to anybody?"

To his surprise Pyrrha just laughed delightedly, looking possibly happier than he had seen her before. She gave him a playful shove, her smile absolutely radiant.

"The day isn't over. I believe I'll get to show you why I'm a champion yet."

"Looking forward to it, partner," he said, and the two continued their trek, their friendship becoming stronger by the minute. Jaune made a note to himself to thank Glynda for her advice. Things were looking up.

* * *

 **Notes:** Initiation has begun, and Qrow's played some pranks. Pyrrha on the other hand, decided to cheat the system a little bit. Adorable.

People keep mentioning or asking about pairings. I've said it before and I'll say it again: don't bother.

Leave a review!

knuckz


	10. Blood 1-3 - scene ii

Residuum

Blood 1.3

ii

* * *

Jaune knew he was an excellent tracker, something that even Qrow had reluctantly admitted. There were a lot of skills he had forged for himself over the years and when his red-eyed mentor had began teaching him, they had talked about Jaune's strengths outside of his blood.

He could tell Pyrrha wasn't anywhere near experienced as him but she knew exactly where she was going even better than he did and he wasn't sure how. She wasn't directly aware of the things around them, small details he had noticed like oddly displaced branches or missing vegetation. However, she seemed to know where North was and he struggled to come up with an explanation.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, noticing him being unusually quiet, "What's wro- oh you have a scratch on your cheek."

He blinked, not having noticed any sort of sting. Bringing his hand up and touching his face, he noticed the blood he caught on his bandage.

"Why don't you activate your aura?" she asked, "It should take care of a small scratch like that."

"Oh, I haven't unlocked it yet," he replied, making her look at him incredulously.

"Did nobody unlock it for you? Here, I can do it," she said, as she stopped walking and stepped in front of him. Jaune backed away, holding up his hands to stay her.

"Actually, it was my decision," he explained.

"I don't understand," she said, "Why don't you want your aura unlocked?"

"It's a bit of a story," he said, overlooking her disbelief, "Qrow told me a little bit about how people used to unlock their aura by themselves. He called it a 'rite of passage' in his family that both he and his sister went through. He offered to unlock mine actually, but he sounded… I dunno, a little more serious about it than usual. He said some people believed in something like a higher meaning about when or how it's unlocked instead of having it done as soon as you can."

"I've read about that. The old ways," Pyrrha said quietly, "There were many people that used to believe in a higher power, that our souls have meaning beyond the physical realm and to unlock our aura was a matter of great significance. It is no longer a widespread belief however, due to the necessity of aura in our fight against the Grimm. Is Qrow a spiritual man?"

"Ha!" Jaune barked out a sharp laugh, "He said it's all some crackpot tradition that his family forced on him and his sister when they were in training themselves. He kept talking about how much he wished someone just unlocked his aura instead of going through all that."

"But you believe in it?" she asked, her tone now thoughtful instead of dubious. He shook his head.

"Not explicitly, no," Jaune said. He wasn't sure what he believed in, not after going through eight years of solitude. It was a nice thought however, that things had meaning. He felt perhaps it might give his life more purpose, that he hadn't suffered for nothing.

"I doubt that Qrow actually believes his family's traditions, if he ever did," he said, "I don't think he lost all of his faith though, at least not about how his aura was unlocked. He didn't tell me the story but I get the feeling it means something to him. He saved me, he taught me and got me here. If he thinks there was meaning in it, then as his student I thought maybe I could respect him by finding that kind of meaning for myself. Maybe I'm just being stupid."

"Not at all," Pyrrha said, giving him a gentle smile, "I think it's very admirable, Jaune. There is nothing wrong in having hope, no matter where you find it. It may not have been practical to leave one's aura unlocked, which is why the belief has mostly died out in the first place, but if something gives us strength of will, it should never be mocked."

"However, I think you're wrong to wait so long," she said, quiet yet fierce, "Your aura is your soul, your very _essence_ wielded to protect you from harm. There may be meaning in unlocking it, but to deny it is to do yourself a disservice. Please, allow me to unlock it."

Jaune sighed, knowing she made a solid point. Perhaps it was just pure stubbornness on his part. It wasn't as though he held a devout belief in the matter, and Qrow didn't seem like the person that would really care if Jaune decided to change his mind.

Glynda had already tried twice, and now Pyrrha? He wanted to say no again, but he saw the earnestness in her eyes and his obstinacy ebbed away.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. Pyrrha placed one hand on his chest, the other the side of his head. Jaune met her intentful gaze, he could see she was searching for something in his eyes.

"Typically, there are multiple ways to unlock someone's aura. As a part of my training, I learned quite a bit about aura as well what can be said to unlock it," Pyrrha explained, "Do you mind if I choose one I find fitting?"

"I'll leave it to you."

"Close your eyes and concentrate," Pyrrha said, closing her own. She activated her own aura and Jaune felt something tug at him from within.

"Indomitable is our spirit, unyielding is our resolve. Only with hope everlasting and brilliant light do we ascend above all. Through bonds enduring and eternal, I release your soul."

Jaune would never forget this moment. He had felt Pyrrha's aura but now also his own. Something ignited within him, something that had always been within reach but never in hand. It was both soothing and turbulent, it felt so… _right_. He couldn't believe he had waited so long for this.

"Thank you," Jaune said, his voice hoarse. Pyrrha smiled knowingly at him.

"Your aura is very beautiful Jaune," she told him, "I felt its strength. Indomitable spirit indeed."

"Very manly, you mean," Jaune corrected her.

Pyrrha laughed, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before taking off, intent on continuing their test. Jaune stared at her as she walked away. He felt something warm in his chest, a feeling that he had long forgotten. It was similar to the feeling he had in his limited interactions with Glynda, and the rare moments with Qrow while they had travelled together.

Companionship.

It was addicting. Jaune hoped that Pyrrha would be the first of many friends. He hoped Ozpin would be able to find his family. He wanted more.

The partners ventured further, taking their time as they conversed and got to know each other a little bit better. Soon enough they came across the temple, seeing a few of their classmates standing there. Jaune was able to make out both Yang and Ruby, but he also saw another girl there he didn't know by name. The bow-wearing girl he had seen yesterday stood near Yang, pointing up at the sky. Jaune followed her gaze, seeing none other than the girl Pyrrha had been with earlier today, Weiss, falling to the ground.

"Uhh, Pyrrha," he said, pointing at the falling girl himself, "Isn't that your friend?"

Pyrrha dashed forward with surprising speed, making a giant leap as she caught the white-haired girl before she hit the ground. Jaune ran after her albeit at a slower speed.

"Are you okay, Weiss?" he heard his partner ask the girl.

"I'm fine, thank you for catching me, Pyrrha," the girl said, "Say, I don't suppose you need a partner do you?"

"Hey!" Ruby yelped, but Weiss ignored her. Pyrrha watched the byplay, slightly puzzled.

"I'm afraid I'm taken," she said, waving her hand at Jaune who had just arrived.

"I told you to jump," the younger girl said told Weiss.

"It was a crazy idea in the first place," she responded, "And it's still up there. That Nevermore is going to come back for us!"

"We'll be okay and- oh hey Jaune!" Ruby said, "I'm glad you made it!"

"Hello Ruby, Yang," Jaune greeted, "Hi, uh, Weiss."

The girl still seemed mad at him as she deliberately looked away from him. Yang stepped forward dragging the final girl forward with her.

"This is my partner, Blake," she said, "Isn't this great? We're probably the strongest group in the year, all girls!"

"Well, actually," Pyrrha spoke up, "Jaune is a-"

"Hey Jaune, what's that weapon?" Ruby interrupted, "It looks familiar."

Jaune withdrew his weapon, showing it off to the girl. He looked curiously at the sisters as they eyed it with surprise and… recognition?

"This is my weapon, Reaper," Jaune said, waving it around a bit, "Why, what's up?"

"Where did you get that?" Yang said, her voice suddenly fierce, her gauntlets clicking into place as she moved aggressively towards him. Ruby also withdrew her own weapon which opened into a giant red scythe.

"Wh-whoa, what, what's wrong?" Jaune asked, backing up as he felt threatened. He saw Pyrrha go stiff, her hands on her own weapons.

"That's not your weapon," Ruby said, just as intensely as her sister, "It's Uncle Qrow's! Where did you get it?"

"Qrow's your uncle?" Jaune blinked, surprised. He had mentioned he had two nieces but the blond hadn't expected to really run into them.

"You know Qrow?"

"Yeah, he's my…" Jaune trailed off, suddenly realizing this was his opportunity to get back at the man. It might be a little dishonest, but if the girls really knew their uncle, then they would understand. He cast a glance at Pyrrha, hoping she wouldn't spoil it.

"He didn't mention me?" Jaune asked them, inflecting a bit of hurt into his voice.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, relaxing slightly.

"He's… Qrow's my dad," Jaune said, slightly entertained as they looked at him in shock, "My name is Jaune Branwen."

"You're… what!?" Ruby squealed, "Uncle Qrow's _married!?_ "

"No," Jaune said, giving her a weird look, "He, uh, he abandoned me and my mom when I was born. He found me recently and gave me Reaper to make up for it."

Yang inspected him closely, looking him up and down. Nearby, Pyrrha gave him a look that was part disapproval and part amusement but she didn't refute him.

"You don't look like him," the blonde said suspiciously.

"I took after my mom, apparently," Jaune said, "Though I don't really remember her."

"Then… I guess that makes you my cousin!" Yang said, apparently convinced as she looked at him happily, "Another girl in the family!"

"Ooh, I can't wait to beat up Qrow next time we see him!" Ruby exclaimed, holding her fist out in front of her.

"Wait Yang, you're mistaken. Jaune is a-" Pyrrha tried again only to be interrupted again.

"The Nevermore's back!" Blake said, pointing at the giant Grimm flying at them from the distance. The bird cawed, it's screech reverberating all the way over. Jaune did not envy whoever would end up fighting that thing, but he knew it wouldn't be him.

"It's okay," Ruby spoke up, "There's only one Nevermore and there are six of us. We'll be fine."

"COWABUNGA!"

A giant scorpion-like Grimm crashed through the trees, an orange-haired girl and a boy dressed in green riding on it's back. Everybody stared at the sight incredulously, almost forgetting about the Nevermore that was getting ever closer.

Weiss sighed despondently, throwing Ruby a displeased look.

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be an everyday thing with you?"

* * *

 **Notes:** So there are some things in this chapter that clearly demonstrate things that are not really explored in canon RWBY. The concept of faith or religion is basically never mentioned even once in RWBY, so I thought it would be something to add a little bit of flavor to Qrow's background and to Remnant. In this particular case, you'll see that Qrow's family practices a kind of militaristic non-theistic type of faith. Get strong, but do it on your own. You want aura, learn to unlock it yourself, etc...

As for the unlocking of aura, the only time we see it in canon is when Pyrrha unlocks Jaune's. But they don't talk too much about it, so I think it's reasonably possible that a person can unlock their aura on their own. From the way I wrote it (in both this chapter and back when Glynda talked about it in her conversation with Jaune), to unlock one's aura requires a sense of self-enlightenment. It's obviously obsolete since nobody can wait around to 'find' themselves when the Grimm are attacking every day, thus the belief has mostly died out. But Qrow did apparently practice it (or was forced to practice it at any rate) in his youth, thus Jaune tried to do it as well to show his loyalty to his mentor.

The phrasing that Pyrrha uses here is significant to the story. I'll let you try to work it out for yourselves, but if you want, you can leave me your thoughts in a review.

Qrow's comment about Raven being Jaune's mother was an offbeat joke more than anything, and either way Jaune wasn't around to hear it. And finally, we now realize that Jaune has no idea that Yang and Ruby are the nieces that Qrow must have told him about.

Thanks, and do leave a review!

knuckz


	11. Blood 1-3 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.3**

 **iii**

* * *

The girl jumped off the Grimm, grabbing her partner and launching off with a rocket-propelled burst from her hammer. Her excitement was a stark contrast to the resigned look on the boy's face. The two landed behind the group, near the relics.

"Damn it, Nora," the boy said, causing the girl to let out a guilty chuckle. She grabbed a relic from the pile, dancing and singing as if she hadn't just had a joyride on an extremely dangerous Grimm. Everybody looked at her in disbelief.

"Did that girl just ride here on a Deathstalker?" Blake asked. The group looked back at the Deathstalker which was slowly rising off the ground as it saw more potential prey.

"Nora!" the boy said, "You can't keep doing that."

"Sorry Ren," she said, sticking out her tongue.

"There isn't any point in sticking around," Weiss said, "We all have our relics, let's not get into any unnecessary fights."

Jaune, making eye contact with his partner, nodded at her. Pyrrha ran over and grabbed a relic for the two of them. The Nevermore was getting closer and closer, but was still far enough away for the group to have some breathing room. The Deathstalker on the other hand was already readying to charge at them.

Nora took aim at the beast, firing her rockets at it, pink explosions causing it to shriek and back off a bit but the damage was superficial at best.

"I don't think we can avoid a fight with that thing chasing us," Blake said, eyeing the giant creature with apprehension. Jaune eyed it, recalling what he knew about them. Qrow hadn't really talked in length about them but Jaune had run into these Grimm before. It hadn't been pleasant; they were hard to pin down long enough to turn and required a fair bit more blood for his ability to have any effect on them, but it could be done. Now that he had some formal training, it would probably be easier than before.

"I'll lead it off," Jaune said, "I can lose it in the forest."

"What, by yourself?" Yang asked, thinking he was joking.

"Jaune, you can't," Pyrrha started, but he just shook his head.

"We don't have time," he said, drawing Reaper, "I can't do anything against that Nevermore, but nobody can fight in a forest like I can."

"It's reckless!" Pyrrha argued, "We can all fight together, it's much safer."

"She's right," Ruby agreed, "What if you get hurt, or worse?"

"I know what I'm doing," Jaune snapped at them irritably, making Ruby flinch slightly. Pyrrha just gave him a hard stare, her gaze tinged with agitation.

"Go, now!" Jaune said, not giving them another chance to argue. He charged at the Deathstalker, deftly dodging it's stinger as he hopped past it, dragging his blade against it's armor to grab its attention. The Grimm turned to him, finding an isolated target and gave chase as the blond disappeared into the forest.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, but the redhead just shook her head in anger.

"I have to go," she said roughly, "I can't let Jaune fight a Deathstalker alone."

"The Nevermore's here!"

The group watched as the Grimm let out another screech, flapping it's wings and showering them with its deadly feathers. They all scattered, jumping out of range of the feathers as they embedded into the ground.

Pyrrha grit her teeth as she looked between the Nevermore and the forest that her partner had disappeared into. Yang noticed and was quick to address the girl.

"Look," she said, getting Pyrrha's attention, "Let's just take care of this beast as fast as we can. Then we can all go after that bullheaded idiot."

"How will we get up there?" Ren asked, not one to let someone fight by themselves. Pyrrha looked up at the Nevermore that was circling around to come at them once more and then to the feathers that it had shot at them.

She ran over to a feather, jumping onto it's hardened shaft which bent back with the force she put on it. Grabbing onto it near the tip, she pulled it back as far as she could, sticking her spear into the ground to leverage as additional pulling weight and to help stick her to the ground as she aimed carefully. Once she pulled her spear out of the ground, the feather snapped back, shooting the girl into the air like a bullet right at the unsuspecting Nevermore.

Yang whistled appreciatively. Eager to try it as well, the blonde ran over to the feathers to simulate Pyrrha's slingshot stunt for herself.

"Huh, guess she isn't a champion for nothing," Nora said, clearly impressed. Grinning, she went after Yang.

"I can send a couple up as well," Weiss said, creating a giant glyph on the floor that Ruby and Blake took advantage of. Waving her rapier, the two of them launched after the Nevermore, follow their classmates before them.

"We can use the feathers," Ren said to her, "If you would be so kind as to shoot them."

"Of course," she replied, and Ren jogged over to the dark plumes of the Nethermore. He struck them with the palms of his hand, displacing them one by one from the ground as Weiss took command of them with her glyphs. With a few waves of her rapier, her glyphs launched the feathers back at the Grimm, similar to how she had done her allies.

As his allies dealt with the Nevermore, Jaune ran through the forest, ducking and weaving through the trees and branches with practiced ease as the Deathstalker just rammed right through them. He was waiting for the right moment, the right time to give the Grimm enough pause so he could make his attack.

When he saw the chance approach, Jaune slashed at his arm with his aura turned off, ignoring the pain as his blood began flowing freely. He activated the gear mechanism, letting Reaper open up to the scythe that it was and swung with enough might that he could cut down a tree of the right size. With the momentum of his swing, the tree fell towards him. Leaping out of the way, Jaune watched as the tree landed on the Deathstalker, blinding it just long enough for Jaune to move out if it's line of sight.

He held his breath and stayed as still as possible as the Grimm looked around carefully for its lost prey. When it turned away from where he hid, Jaune leapt out at it, swinging his arm and splashing it with the blood still running from his self-inflicted wound. It screeched as if burned, flailing around wildly in pain.

It wasn't enough blood to turn it but enough to disable it which was what the blond had intended. He swung Reaper upwards in an arc, stabbing the blade of the scythe underneath the Deathstalker which he knew was its weak spot.

The blade went all the way through the Grimm's body, erupting out of the top. Seeing it in its death throes, Jaune let out a sigh of relief, slumping slightly. He had done it himself, just like he always had. The young Hunstman-in-training activated his aura, allowing it to begin healing the wound on his arm.

Now he could make his way back to his friends, to his partner and show her that she had worried for nothing. He had killed a Grimm of this size, of this strength all by himself. That would surely impress them.

It had been too early to relax.

The Grimm's thrashing caught him unawares, it's stinger catching him with its blunt side, striking his head and sending him flying backwards. He struck a tree and fell to the ground, dazed and almost passed out.

He felt something wet drip down from his head and his vision went blurry. Jaune couldn't make sense of anything, everything was spinning as he struggled to stay awake. Barely catching sight of the dead Grimm, he began crawling towards it, hoping to get to his weapon. If any other Grimm came… why had he gotten careless?

He felt his vision going black. No… he had to get up. How much time had passed? Surely other Grimm would be here soon.

"Jaune!"

He barely heard it, someone calling his voice. He couldn't speak, couldn't get up.

"Jaune?"

"Whoa, look, it's the Deathstalker!"

Yang's voice.

"It's… dead. He actually killed a Deathstalker _by himself_."

Blake. Disbelieving.

"There!"

Hammer girl. Nora?

"Jaune? Are you… oh my God, Jaune!"

Pyrrha? Pyrrha was here. She would help him, right?

Jaune embraced the darkness.

* * *

 **Notes:** This one clearly demonstrates Jaune's superiority in fighting against Grimm. He has experience, but he is also predisposed to fighting them, since he can basically nullify them with his blood. And we learn a little bit more about the ability itself: the bigger or stronger the Grimm is, the more blood is required for Jaune to turn it. But even a little bit of blood is enough to incapacitate the Grimm.

The Deathstalker's thrashing caught Jaune unawares; the blow to the head he took completely dispelled his aura (which, if you remember, is new to him) and almost knocked him out.

Finally, there are a few hints in this scene that are relevant to future scenes. I don't think anyone will catch them exactly, but feel free to try.

Cheers, and leave a review with your thoughts!

knuckz


	12. Blood 1-3 - scene iv

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.3**

 **iv**

* * *

"He's waking up."

"Jaune? Jaune!"

Jaune blinked awake, coughing as he tried to slowly rise out of bed. Gentle hands pushed him back own, a hand on his chest and another on his arm. Jaune spotted the red hair, immediately coming to a conclusion as to who this was.

"Pyrrha?" he asked. As his sight cleared he saw her emerald gaze taking in sight of him, relief clear in them.

"You've been out for a few hours now," she said, inspecting him closely. Jaune felt something tied tight around his head, raising his still bandaged hands to feel for it. Pyrrha smacked his hand sharply, making them flinch down.

"No touching," she told him sternly. Behind her, Jaune saw Qrow sitting in a chair, chuckling at them.

"What happened?"

"You took a heavy blow to the head," Qrow said, "Knocked a few screws loose. Or maybe put them back in place, can't tell with you."

Pyrrha gave the man a reproachful look, making him put up his hands innocently.

"You're extremely lucky you didn't receive any permanent damage," Pyrrha said, "The doctor and your aura did a good job in fixing you up. Your aura even absorbed most of the blow. If we hadn't unlocked your aura today… you could've been…"

Jaune frowned at the implications.

"Dead," Qrow filled in, "Kicked the bucket. Having a dirt nap. Living-challenged."

"Yeah, I get it," Jaune said, rolling his eyes. Pyrrha shook her head at the man's antics.

"At least you killed that Deathstalker," Qrow said, "Imagine if you died and _didn't_ manage to kill it. Would've gone out as my eternal shame."

"Oh shut up."

"I can see where you get your recklessness," Pyrrha remarked dryly. The Huntsman barked in laughter.

"Do you mind if I talk with my apprentice for a bit, little lady?" Qrow asked, giving Jaune a meaningful look. Pyrrha looked between him and her partner for a moment before nodding.

"I believe Yang and Ruby were eager to visit you," she said, "I'll let them know you're up."

Once she left, Qrow moved his chair closer to Jaune's bed and kicked up his legs, resting them near the end. He peered at Jaune for a bit before saying anything.

"It was a smart call," he said, "It's what I would've done, leading the Deathstalker away. That thing would've been too much of a distraction especially with that Nevermore up in the air."

"I thought so," Jaune said, "I've fought those things before. I knew if I could get it in the forest myself, I could deal with it."

"The difference between you and me though," Qrow said, "is that I'm leagues ahead of you. We both know what you did to beat that thing, and it wouldn't fly anywhere else, not unless you want people learning about what you can do. And that will paint a target on your head, one that we might not be able to protect you from."

"I managed to kill it without too much problem," Jaune defended himself, "I just got a little bit careless this time."

"So did a lot of people I've had to bury over the years," Qrow replied quietly, giving Jaune pause as he considered the man's words.

"Look… I had the opportunity to lead it away alone and I took advantage of it," Jaune told him indignantly, "I wouldn't have risked it if I wasn't alone."

"Yeah, and Ozpin has cameras all over that forest," Qrow told him, making Jaune's eyes widen in surprise, "Yeah, it's on camera. We already edited the video to take that part out. But if someone gets a chance to see the video, if they look closely enough, they'll know something's up."

"Well, then, what was I supposed to do?" Jaune asked. Qrow didn't reply immediately, just sighing forlornly.

"So you finally unlocked your aura, huh?" he asked, completely skipping over Jaune's question much to the blond's frustration.

"Yeah," Jaune replied, "I wanted to do it myself, but I already rebuffed Glynda twice and I got the feeling Pyrrha wouldn't give up. Besides, she made a pretty good argument."

"You know kid, I never really did get to explain much about what my family's traditions are," Qrow told him.

"Pyrrha explained it a little bit," Jaune said, "That people believed our souls had meaning beyond the… the physical realm. How there was significance in unlocking it. It's pretty much what you told me."

"She's one smart cookie, that girl," Qrow commented, "My family's traditions were always about finding yourself. What's the point if everything is handed to you? You want to unlock your aura, do it yourself. When you finally do manage to unlock it, it's all the more meaningful for you because of the effort you put in it."

Jaune nodded, remembering the first time Qrow had explained this to him, back when he was first learning about aura from the man.

"A Branwen family tradition," Qrow said, snorting, "Both me and Raven went through it. As my apprentice, I told you about it but I still offered to unlock your aura. You decided to follow in my footsteps instead of just letting someone do it for you. Do you know why?"

Jaune shrugged, not wanting to admit he did it for Qrow.

"I told you how significant it could be when your aura is unlocked, that there was so much meaning in it," Qrow said, "But meaning isn't something that just pops into your life. Meaning is what you make of it."

"Huh?" Jaune had little to no idea what the man was saying, "Are you drunk again?"

"Choice, Jaune," he said, not rising to Jaune's baiting, "There is meaning in the decisions you make. Choice is what gives our lives significance. One of the worst things you can do to a person is to take away their ability to make a choice."

"You've been alone for so long, with nothing but those… absolute fucking _monsters_ for companions. You obviously didn't choose that. I offered you a chance between unlocking your aura and letting you do it yourself. Lo and behold, you chose to do it by yourself. So tell me kid. Why? Why did you choose that?"

"I…"

"It's because everything you've done for the last eight years, you had to do yourself," Qrow told him, "Yeah, it's shit. You didn't get a choice in the matter, you haven't had anyone to rely on but yourself so you made your decision based on that."

"But in the end, I wasn't able to unlock my aura by myself, someone else had to do it," Jaune said.

"Yeah. It's your _goddamn soul_ Jaune, and for the first time in eight years, you were able to trust someone else with something that important," Qrow said, "If there's no meaning in that, then I don't know what else could be any more significant. So you're asking what else could you have done against that Deathstalker? Trust in your partner, your teammates, your friends."

Jaune watched the man silently, seeing a rare side of him not seen very often.

"I'm not saying it's gonna be easy," the man said, "Even I still got problems with it. You have your own fair share of excuses. But you've been given an opportunity denied to you for so long. Don't waste it trying to be like me."

"You've got plenty of time to get stronger," Qrow finished, "Until then, learn to trust your teammates. Life isn't something you go through alone. Even I got family."

"Yang and Ruby," Jaune filled in.

"Heh, yeah," Qrow said, "You met them, I'm guessing? It's been some time since I last saw them. I suppose I should meet them before I leave."

"You really should," the blond said, desperately wanting to see that reunion, "Wait, you're leaving?"

"To Mistral. You were in the Wilds near there, it's the best place to start if we're gonna find out who you are."

Jaune fell silent as he thought about it. His family. Qrow had told him not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help it. Were they in Mistral? Did they think he was dead? Did they even remember him?

"We'll find something," Qrow assured him, "If you were truly from the Kingdoms, it shouldn't even be that hard."

The doors to the infirmary opened, Pyrrha having returned with Qrow's nieces, as well as most of the others that Jaune had met a few hours ago, Nora, Ren, and the contemplative Blake, though Weiss was nowhere to be found. Yang and Ruby immediately set sights on their uncle.

"Uncle Qrow!"

They ran over to him, making the man chuckle as he saw them approach for what he assumed were hugs.

Yang socked him in the face.

"AAH!" Qrow yelped in pain as he clutched his face, "I think you broke my jaw!"

"You deserve it!" Ruby told him fiercely, "How could you abandon your own daughter like that!?"

"My what?" Qrow asked, staggering.

"Jaune told us how you abandoned her at birth!" Yang told him, "You deserved it."

"That little liar!" Qrow said, glaring at the smirking blond, "Jaune's my apprentice, not my… wait, daughter?"

"Sorry Yang, Ruby," Jaune apologized, "I didn't mean to trick you, but you know Qrow. He scared me half to death when we were launched off that cliff, I couldn't resist."

"So you're not our cousin?" Ruby asked in a small voice.

Both sisters gaped at him, with what Jaune regretfully noticed to be hurt. Qrow also noticed this and jumped in to the boy's rescue.

"Look, he's taken my name because we haven't found his yet," the man told them, still rubbing his jaw, "Maybe it isn't by blood but he's as good as your cousin. And since you apparently haven't realized yet, despite the pretty face and the hair, Jaune's a male."

"Well, I guess if you're family, all's forgiven," Ruby said, grinning at him. Jaune smiled at her, feeling warmed by her kindness. Pyrrha walked over to him, giving him a grin and taking the empty seat by the bed. Yang on the other hand…

She looked down at her chest then back at him. And back down, and at him again.

"Yang?" Jaune asked.

He saw her eyes flash red, saw her crack her knuckles, and instinctively knew this was going to hurt.

" _You..._ "

As he tried his best to dodge Yang much to the laughter of everyone in the room, Jaune couldn't help but think that if having family and friends was like this, perhaps getting beaten half to death by his pseudo-cousin was worth it.

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** The conclusion of initiation and everyone is now aware of Jaune's status as a male.

The important part of this scene is the bonding between Jaune and Qrow and the look we get into Jaune's psyche. One of the small hints I was talking about in my preceding author's notes is directly addressed in this one: in the previous scene, Jaune was caught off guard by the Deathstalker's blow because he was thinking about impressing his new friends. Qrow talks about the shift in Jaune's state of mind here. He's been alone for so long but now he has other people to rely on and trust, and he has to learn to do that more.

Anyway, Qrow's headed to Mistral so we won't see him for a bit.

By the way, this story is going on a temporary hiatus while I deal with some personal matters.

Cheers, and leave a review!

knuckz


	13. Blood 1-4 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.4**

 **i**

* * *

Under strict instructions to take it easy, Jaune sat beside Pyrrha at the lunch table awaiting Ren and Nora to join the group. Sitting nearby, Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss all lounged around with them. Weiss was inspecting something on her scroll while the ever-silent Blake was reading a book. Ruby had her head on her arms while Yang was almost drooling onto the table, waiting for the food.

"So hungry," Yang complained, "Ugh, why is this taking so long?"

"I'm sure they're just making sure there's enough for everyone," Blake said, not looking away from her book.

"As long as there's cookies," Ruby mumbled.

"You're not getting cookies," Yang told her, making her whine, "Don't even try that puppy stuff with me."

"Aw. What're you, dad?"

"Would I be correct in assuming I would not like seeing Ruby on a sugar rush?" Weiss asked, snapping her scroll shut.

"I'm not _that_ bad," Ruby said.

"She's the worst."

"Traitor!"

Jaune watched the byplay with part amusement and part hesitance, wanting to take part but unsure of what to contribute. It was one thing talking to Qrow, who was not one to get offended by something the blond said or did. Even Glynda seemed understanding, but he hadn't been anywhere near as crass as he usually was with Qrow.

"Perhaps after you've had dinner, Ruby?" Pyrrha chipped in, "After all, a Huntress does need to get all the nutrients they can with a balanced diet."

"Of course," Weiss agreed, "If you're going to be my partner, that includes eating right."

"So uptight," Ruby groaned, causing Weiss to glare at her.

"Food's here," Ren said, walking up with an enormous tray completely packed with an assortment of different foods for the group.

"Finally!"

"It's a smorgasbord!" Nora exclaimed, "They have so much stuff here!"

"Thanks for getting all of the food," Pyrrha said gratefully as she rose from her seat to help the boy set down the food, "You really didn't have to."

"Nonsense," the bubbly girl replied, "After what we did, we deserve to celebrate in style!"

"They even have steak! Oh, I love this place!"

Jaune looked at the food with curious eyes and slight apprehension. Apart from the breakfast that he had with Glynda, almost every meal he'd had in the past eight years had been something he had to find or cook for himself. He didn't even recognize most of the foods there.

He sat back, watching as everybody dug in immediately, grabbing a mix of everything. Yang and Nora had taken the largest portions, already mowing down their servings with great gusto. He watched as Ruby had a more moderate portion, though with the eyes she was making at the cookies it may have been less to do with her hunger and more to do with getting at those biscuits.

Blake, he noticed oddly, seemed to have a plate stacked with an assortment of different types of seafood. Jaune had eaten his fair share of fish over the years, mostly because they were the easiest to get his hands on, but even he didn't like the food as much as she seemed to.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha called, getting his attention, "Aren't you going to have any?"

"Oh, right," Jaune said, reaching out and copying his partner's plate exactly. Jaune watched as she ate, carefully paying attention to how she used her utensils. She was holding down her food using her fork, slicing it with the knife. Pyrrha seemed to notice his gaze.

"Is… uh, is something wrong, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked him, looking slightly flustered. Jaune just shook his head, looking back to his food.

Grabbing his fork, Jaune stabbed down on the meal with a little more force than was necessary, making a few people give him some odd looks much to his embarrassment. Soldiering on, Jaune grabbed a knife, awkwardly trying to cut it. He pressed down too hard, causing the plate to tilt and some of the contents to fly off, dropping into his lap and onto the table.

"Oops."

"Ugh, you barbarian," Weiss said, looking at the mess he made with disdain, "Look, have you ever had this before?"

"No actually," Jaune replied.

"Why not spare us the trouble of having to clean up more than we have to and have something you've eaten before," Weiss said to him. Jaune didn't want to tell her that he hadn't really eaten _any_ of this food before.

"Would you like me to help, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked him, giggling. Jaune gave her a weak smile but shook his head. He was sure Qrow's advice about trusting his teammates didn't include making them feed him.

Weiss just sighed at his expression.

"Look," she said, "Maybe when we're all a little bit less tired, I'll show you the proper way to have steak, okay?"

Jaune seemed surprised at the offer but nodded nonetheless. This was really the first time she had been nice to him. Ruby, hearing Weiss's offer, spoke up.

"Ooh, me too Weiss, teach me too!"

"Ren, let's join those lessons! It'll be Weiss's treat!" Nora exclaimed. The light-haired girl palmed her face ruefully.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she said, making everyone laugh. Feeling a little better, Jaune reached for foods that seemed easier to eat.

"Hey! Those are _my_ cookies!"

Once they had all eaten, the eight students decided to head to the ceremony in which they would be given teams. They already knew their partners of course, but they had been told there had been some unforeseen circumstances and the actual teams had to be a bit more carefully deliberated.

Glynda had told them that instead of a grand ceremony as usual, the team announcements would be held in a more private gathering. They had at first been confused as to why all eight were scheduled for the same time, but attributed it to all of them passing at the same time.

As they arrived, the group noticed both Ozpin and Glynda waiting for them. Ozpin was seated on a long green couch, his usual mug of coffee sitting on the coffee table situated in front. There was an assortment of furniture in the room, more than enough desks and chairs as well. The group noticed a total of three extra doors in the room, two at either end and one near the centre at the back.

"All fed and watered, I hope?" Ozpin asked. Nora was the first to reply, giddy as ever.

"Ohh, that food was the _best!_ " she said, "Ren and I haven't eaten like that in… well, forever!"

"You are training to be the protectors of tomorrow," Glynda said, "The school spares no expense in making sure you have everything available to you in order to help your growth."

"Now, I'm sure you were wondering why we have called all eight of you here together," she continued, "Traditionally, teams are comprised of four students each. This will also be the case for you as well. However, your initiation gathered some… attention. Thus we will also be introducing something a little bit different this year."

Jaune noticed something slightly off about her, something he wouldn't have recognized if he hadn't spent some time with her before. She seemed displeased about something, though he had no idea what.

"Firstly, your teams," Ozpin said, "Jaune Branwen, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren. You gathered the rook pieces and will be henceforth known as Team Juniper, led by Jaune Branwen."

Surprised at his election as the leader, Jaune gave Glynda a disbelieving look. After he pretty much went off by himself, he wasn't so sure he'd have anything to do with leadership, not that he had any hopes for it in the first place. The teacher looked back at him calmly, not giving anything away.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. You gathered the knight pieces, and will form Team Ruby, led by Ruby Rose."

Weiss looked shocked at this, as much as Ruby did. Yang grabbed Ruby in celebration, giving her a tight one-armed hug.

"Now, as I said, there is something different we're trying this year," Glynda spoke, "You will still have your own separate teams as Professor Ozpin has told you. However, due to your exceptional performance today, we have decided to also put your two teams together in a super-group, for which leadership will be shared by both Ms Rose and Mr Branwen."

The group looked at her in bewilderment. Even Jaune, who arguably knew the least about Beacon, had been told by Qrow how the teams were set up. He hadn't exactly known what to expect, but he still didn't anticipate this.

"But… why are we being put together?" Weiss asked, seeming the most shocked.

"That is a lesson you'll have to figure out for yourselves," Ozpin said.

"Are we the only students that is taking part in this new group?" Blake asked, ever the perceptive one. She understood that this would make them stand out amongst their classmates if that was the case, and not necessarily in a positive way.

"Yes," Glynda replied, "The reason why we called you to this location specifically is because this will be your living quarters. For both teams."

"What!?"

"This is your common room, so to speak. The doors at each end are separate bedrooms for each team, and the last door is a communal bathroom," the blonde teacher explained, "Your classes begin tomorrow. I suggest that you unpack and perhaps get some rest."

Evidently not answering any more questions, both adults left the room, leaving the eight teammates alone to stew in their thoughts.

"Well," Yang said slowly, "I guess technically we _are_ being praised right? We were so awesome together that they decided to not split us up."

"Ooh, we should come up with superhero names! And a team name!" Nora said, clapping excitedly. Weiss seemed the most flabbergasted; Jaune shared her sentiment.

"Well," Pyrrha said, sounding oddly cheerful, "I can't say that I particularly hate this arrangement. I'm sure we'll all be the best of friends!"

"Exactly right, Pyrrha! And as team leader, my first order of business is to have a house-warming party! Isn't that right, fellow team leader?" Ruby shouted, nudging Jaune.

"Huh? Oh," was all Jaune could say as the several members ignored him and cheered along with Ruby. Ren walked over to the blond, the two of them being the only males. Jaune just then noticed the horrified look on his face.

"Ren?"

"I don't think that you realize what this truly means, Jaune," he said, watching as Nora and Yang snuck out to presumably grab party supplies, "We're going to be sharing that single bathroom with _six girls._ "

"Uhh…" Jaune had no experience in sharing bathrooms with anyone, let alone girls, but apparently Ren did.

"Jaune… we're _screwed._ "

* * *

 **Notes:** And I'm back. I had some ongoing health problems I'm dealing with, mainly in my hands.

I'm guessing this is probably not the first time there's been a fic where they've decided to put JNPR and RWBY into an eight-man team. Many stories usually have them be very close friends but there is an official distinction in this. When Glynda said their teams are put together in a super-group, that's 'super' as in 'superscript'. There's no singular leader obviously. JNPR and RWBY still exist, and then there's also JNPRWBY. In case it hasn't come across, Ozpin and Glynda are less than happy about this.

Now, I want to address chapter lengths. Firstly, the structure of the chapters. We're currently in the 'Blood' arc. Under 'Blood', the chapters for 1-1, 1-2, 1-3... 1-x. Each chapter contain scenes from i to iv. After 1-x is finished, we are then on 2-x. After that, 3-x, 4-x etc... until the Blood arc is done. Then we move onto a differently named arc and are back at 1-x.

It's like this:

 **Blood** :

1-1: scene i, ii, iii, iv; 1-2: scene i, ii, iii, iv, ... 1-x: scene i, ii, iii, iv;

2-1: scene i, ii, iii, iv; ... 2-x: scene i, ii, iii, iv;

x-x: scene i, ii, iii, iv;

 **New arc** :

1-x: scene i, ii, iii, iv;

x-x: scene i, ii, iii, iv;

The length of each scene is currently at 1000 words and above, occasionally dipping over 2000 words. This will remain the case until I'm finished with the 1-x's. Once we go into 2-x and beyond, you should be seeing a decent increase in the length for each scene. At that time, update rate will obviously slow down. In case anyone is wondering, 1-x ends at 1-6, after which 2-x starts. So if you're waiting for lengthier updates, it'll happen once we're out of the very beginning of the story (i.e. after 1-x is over).

Anyway, thanks for the support, and leave a review!

knuckz


	14. Blood 1-4 - scene ii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.4**

 **ii**

* * *

Jaune stumbled a bit as he headed for the door, his eyes not having quite adjusted to the darkness yet. His teammates were still asleep, probably still knackered after the impromptu party that had been thrown. Yang and Nora had grabbed all sorts of snacks and drinks and everyone had gone to sleep on full stomachs.

There were still a few hours before their first class for the day started, Grimm studies with Professor Port, and Jaune was curious to see what it would be like. The blond knew quite a lot about Grimm from his time in the Wilds, even though he hadn't quite known what they were.

Stepping into the common room, Jaune headed straight for the bathroom, intent on showering and preparing for the day. If there was one thing that Jaune never really knew he had taken for granted, it was a shower. That and toilet paper.

After he had freshened up ten minutes later, Jaune decided to perhaps see if there was anything he could do to prepare for the upcoming classes. His education with Qrow had not included anything that would be covered in Beacon, apart from perhaps combat.

Deciding to not turn the lights on in case it disturbed anyone, Jaune took a seat on the couch, switching on the lamp. He then noticed yellow eyes staring into his own.

"Holy fu-mmph!"

Blake covered his mouth with her hand, putting one finger to her own mouth in a shushing gesture.

"Don't want to wake up anyone else," Blake said, "I'm not sure I can deal with both Ruby and Nora this early in the morning."

"Right," Jaune said once the girl had removed her hand, "You surprised me. How long have you been sitting there?"

"I was having some trouble sleeping," she said, "Too much late-night candy. I woke up while you were in the shower."

Jaune fell silent at that. Despite her general reticence, she did seem like the indulgent type with how much fish she had eaten at dinner and the snacks she had devoured during their late-night celebration.

"So, I've been meaning to ask," she said, "How is it that you killed that Deathstalker?"

"Oh yeah, that," Jaune said, "Well, Yang and Ruby's uncle did train me for a bit. He's a really good Huntsman. One of the best, I think. Those Grimm have a soft underbelly, like a-"

"Like a Boarbatusk," Blake finished, "I wasn't aware of that."

"Maybe it's something we'll learn in our first class of the day," he said, wondering what a Boarbatusk was. He began to shift a bit when the girl stared at him for a moment, not having the slightest clue what she was thinking.

"How did you know?" she asked quietly.

"I've seen a few here and there," Jaune replied with only the slightest hesitance, not wanting to tell her that he'd actually fought them before as well. Blake didn't seem to want to continue this line of questioning much to the blond's relief.

"So what are you doing up so early?" she asked, bringing her legs up, hugging her knees as she kneeled back on the couch.

"This is when I usually get up, I'm afraid," he replied, "I'm a light sleeper."

"I am as well," she replied, "Though I'm not so sure I can get by with as little sleep as you do. I think I can probably get another hour of sleep if I'm lucky."

She rose silently and headed back to her room. Before she left, Jaune saw her pause, looking back at him.

"I… uh, I'm looking forward to being friends with you, Jaune," she said. There was very little lighting in the room, but Jaune could just barely make out a smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah, me too," he said, sounding clearly surprised. As she disappeared, Jaune just sat there in bewilderment wondering what had just happened. Blake had come off as quite standoffish in the short time he knew her, but she seemed quite interested in him. Certainly he had never expected her to reach out to him like she did.

After digesting the conversation he just had for a few minutes, Jaune grabbed a history book from the nearby table and tried to read. It was a lesson in futility as he knew next to nothing about how to read. His inability to read wasn't an issue that came up with him and Qrow and the man hadn't bothered to teach him or even inquire about it. Deep inside he knew it really wasn't his fault, but it was just another source of embarrassment that he did not want to see the light of day.

Slowly, Jaune made his way through the book, trying his best to understand what he was reading. He was glad that the book had some illustrations on different topics. So absorbed he was that he almost didn't notice Pyrrha enter the room.

"Good morning, Jaune! I didn't see you in your bed, so I assumed you were up. Have you been awake long?" she said, giving the blond her customary smile. The girl was dressed in clothes as red as her hair, an oddly similar type of flowy attire to Blake in fact.

"Morning. Yeah, a few hours now," Jaune replied, making the girl blink in surprise.

"Had trouble sleeping?" she asked, glancing at the book in his hand, "You didn't really have too much to eat last night."

Somehow knowing this was going to be a recurring issue, the blond repressed a sigh at the question.

"I'm an early riser," he said, "A _really early_ riser, you could say."

"I see," she said, a laugh in her voice, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to quickly freshen up. It's nice to see you revising though, it's always good to be prepared for the day."

Jaune didn't tell her that he had only gotten through about five pages and had barely been able to read most of the words in the book. As Pyrrha closed the door to the bathroom behind her, it seemed that the rest of team RWBY had awakened if the shrill whistle and all the yelling was to be believed.

"Come ooooon Team RWBY!"

Ruby marched out with three sleepy teammates behind her, flicking on the lights in the room. Jaune spotted them still in their sleepwear, some of them yawning and sleepily rubbing their eyes.

"Morning Jaune!" Ruby called out, marching over to the bathroom.

"Morning. Pyrrha's in there by the way," he said, causing her to deflate.

"Aw, Ruby why'd you wake me up so early if Pyrrha's in there?" Yang half-sobbed, collapsing face first onto the couch, her butt sticking up over the armrest.

"But… we have to get an early start to the day!" Ruby said, "We still have to unpack and decorate!"

"It was your suggestion that kept us up all night, you dunce," Weiss reprimanded her, but Ruby just waved her hand, not giving Weiss's words any credence.

"What about Ren and Nora? Shouldn't you go wake them up, Jaune?" Ruby asked. Jaune shook his head.

"If there's such a long line to the bathroom then I think a little extra sleep wouldn't hurt them," Jaune replied.

"Now that's what I call a leader," Yang said, her voice muffled by the couch.

"I wonder if we can petition to join JNPR?" Blake asked with a smirk, joining in on the ribbing. Ruby's cheeks puffed out as she glared at her team. Weiss rolled her eyes at the slowly reddening girl.

"Really, you're going to hold your breath?" she asked, raising a delicate eyebrow, "Are you a little girl?"

Ruby didn't relent and nobody on her team bothered stopping her. Yang seemed to have fallen asleep in what Jaune couldn't assume was a comfortable position but judging by the look he could see as she turned her face, she seemed to enjoy it.

"Don't tell me we have to wait for you as well," Weiss said, looking at Jaune with her arms crossed. Jaune shook his head in the negative.

"I've been up for a bit now, so it's all yours after Pyrrha's out," he told her, sparing her a glance before watching as Ruby let out deep gasping breaths, unable to hold it in any longer.

"Learned your lesson, Rubes?" Yang called out, obviously not as asleep as she seemed.

"You're all traitors," Ruby said, pouting. The door to the bathroom opened, revealing a freshly showered and dressed Pyrrha, who blinked at the suddenly full room. Ruby's form blurred as she disappeared from her spot, appearing at the door as soon as Pyrrha was out of the way. Weiss was the first to react.

"Hey!"

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her partner before going in and shutting the door behind her.

"I swear, she's such a child," Weiss said, pushing Yang over and sitting at the edge with closed eyes. Yang whined in displeasure, rolling over and ending up nearly half onto Jaune much to his discomfort. The girl didn't seem to notice or care, as she seemed more interested in the warmth from his body.

The boy just let out a forlorn sigh as Pyrrha sat on the armrest beside him, gently taking the book he had been reading and looking through it curiously. Somehow, he just _knew_ they were going to be late.

* * *

 **Notes:** Some bonding between Jaune and Blake. Obviously, Blake has some significance in this story. In the team, she's the only person apart from Jaune that's also from the Wilds, and she's also led a violent past with the White Fang.

One thing to address as well. In regards to 'plot-holes', this story is planned quite meticulously. While I can't say I'm infallible and can't make mistakes, a lot of things that might seem like plot-holes are probably anything but. This story very much involves looking for hints and reading between the lines. It's not written from the perspective of an omniscient narrator, it's written from the perspective of the characters themselves, so not everything must be taken at its word. Some of these 'holes' or 'mistakes' might actually be something I put in on purpose because it could have relevance in the future.

Cheers, and leave a review!

knuckz


	15. Blood 1-4 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.4**

 **iii**

* * *

He had been right. Sharing a single bathroom with seven people wasn't anything to scoff at, and even with him and Pyrrha out of the way, the others had taken so long that they were already cutting it really close by the time it came for Ren's turn.

The matter was further complicated as his team had to take turns waiting outside the dorm for the sake of modesty as the others dressed in their school outfit. Jaune, having no idea how to wear any of these clothes, came out looking disheveled and unkempt. He already gave up on wearing his tie, having not even the slightest clue on how to do it up, and just let it hang loosely around his collar.

Thankfully, the blond had remembered to wrap his hands up when he first awoke. He had hidden them from sight up until now and it was a can of worms he did not want opened any time soon.

"I can't believe we're late on our very first day," Weiss said, trembling in anger. Yang just shrugged, taking another bite from her muffin.

"Hey, don't look at me," she said. Weiss narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"I very much blame you," the Heiress snapped at her, "If you hadn't taken so long in there…"

"This beautiful head of hair requires some extra care to look so good, you know," Yang replied, shooting Jaune a dirty look. She had been upset to learn that despite the way his hair looked, he did pretty much no maintenance on it beyond a wash.

"I still don't get why we haven't gone to class yet. We're going to be in so much trouble," Weiss continued.

"We were already late by the time we left the dorm," Nora said, snarfing down another pancake, "If we're going to be in trouble no matter what, might as well be on a full stomach."

"Well said, Nora!" Pyrrha said, slicing her pancake with her coveted fork and knife technique that Jaune so furiously envied. The blond looked down at his own attempt at eating in a disciplined manner; his plate was a complete mess.

Pyrrha's exclamation made Weiss falter. Truthfully, the redhead did not come across as a rule-breaker to anyone, especially considering her spotless reputation as a fighter and unfaltering kindness and geniality. Perhaps it was due to that very same cheerfulness that allowed the champion to join the group. She seemed more excited in skiving off class with her friends than being an upstanding student.

"Well, I hope you've eaten your fill, because there's Professor Goodwitch and she doesn't look happy," Ren said, looking at the approaching teacher in apprehension. The entire group froze at his words, slowly turning to look at the woman with rapidly paling faces.

"Students skipping out on their _very first_ class at Beacon," she said, looking extremely displeased, "And all to grab breakfast. I have never in my days seen such a display."

Nobody responded to the woman and none of them had the daring to take even another bite. They all knew that the first person to speak up would become a sacrifice, and not a single person wanted it to happen to them.

"Miss Rose?" the teacher called, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Ruby froze like a deer in headlights, looking at the woman with wide eyes and cheeks bulging like a squirrel.

"Well?"

"Fowwy."

As Ruby's mouth opened, bits and pieces of the cookies she had stuffed into her mouth fell out, covered in her saliva. The entire table recoiled away from her in disgust, making her blush.

"Eww!"

"Ah get away from me Ruby!"

"Ew ew ew!"

Glynda just sighed, putting her hand to her temple in frustration. She opened her mouth to perhaps give them another reprimand but glanced at Jaune in his disorderly state and seemed to change her mind.

"I'll see you all in detention," she said, "And that is outside whatever punishment Professor Port decides to give. There is a reason we have made you into an eight-person team. You're all exceptional children, so please show a little bit more responsibility."

Glynda waved her riding crop, sweeping away all their food much to their disappointment.

"Run along now. I believe Professor Port's class is still in session for another hour. I'm sure you can catch the latter half of his lecture," she said, "I will see you after your classes today."

Dutifully, the eight rose from their seats and made their way to the classroom.

"I can _not_ believe that just happened," Weiss said after a short bout of silence, "And on our first day as well. We made such a poor impression."

"No problem," Yang said, "Like Miss G said, we're exceptional. We'll make it up no problem."

"I hope you're right," Blake said, not sounding as convinced as Yang was, "I'm not so sure everything is going to go as well as you think."

"Why not?" Ruby asked, munching on yet another biscuit, "We'll be fine."

"Well, putting us in an eight-person team already makes us stand out," Blake said, "And we were given a bigger dorm as well. Some of our peers might be jeal- wait, did you steal a cookie?"

Ruby immediately stuffed the entire cookie into her mouth, chewing furiously.

"No."

"Regardless," Weiss said, "We're not doing this again. From now on, the only impact I want to have is a good one. No more late night parties, no more taking forever to wash our hair, and no more skipping class to eat breakfast!"

"Aw, I mean, a couple of times wouldn't hurt," Nora said innocently, making Ren pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Absolutely not," she replied, stopping as they arrived outside the classroom, "Before we go in... Jaune, fix your attire!"

Jaune just shrugged, not particularly caring for this clothing nor knowing how really to dress. He had copied Ren as best he could but it was far from perfect.

"Ugh, at least put your tie on properly!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. Walking over, she flipped up his collar and slung his tie around it, fastening it around the neck of his shirt properly. Jaune stood stiffly as Weiss straightened up his attire, not liking the feeling of someone else dressing him nor the way the tie felt constricting his neck.

"This feels uncomfortable," Jaune complained, pulling at his collar in hopes of loosening it.

"Well, you better get used to it," Weiss said, "You're technically my leader by extension, not to mention you managed to kill a fully-grown Deathstalker on your own. I won't have you looking so messy. It will reflect on all of us as well."

She turned, marching to the door and entering the classroom. The rest of the team followed her, Ren placing a commiserating hand on his shoulder before he followed behind them. Sighing, Jaune made to follow them.

The class was already well in session, most of them seemed quite bored from the Professor's lesson. It didn't bode well on Jaune on how much he might actually enjoy the class.

"Ah, finally here are you?" the teacher spoke up. He was a stout man, grey hair and a matching thick grey mustache adorning his face. Feeling the gazes of the entire class on them, the team seemed to wither slightly. Ruby in particular seemed like a downtrodden puppy and tried to hide behind her partner, but Weiss made sure to put the young leader at the forefront.

"Not to worry," Professor Port said, "I'm sure an exception can be made for extraordinary students such as yourselves. Though I believe some extra readings will be suitable punishment."

Jaune saw the looks on the faces of the other students in the classroom. They seemed pleased, some with nasty smirks on their faces. He could feel Pyrrha shift slightly at their attention, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Now then, as you missed my opening, grab a seat and listen!" the man said, gesturing to an open portion of the room, "Let it not be said that I am a man who will deprive his students of his marvelous tales of adventure!"

When he heard the groans around the classroom and saw some of those taunting gazes turn into glares, Jaune couldn't help but think that perhaps it might have been better to skip breakfast than deal with this.

"Monsters! Demons…"

* * *

 **Notes:** Not much to say about this scene. Not a lot of plot significance in this, it's more for building up the personalities of the characters. For example, Weiss seems less irritated that she's not a leader here and has taken more of a team manager / caretaker role. And I just _had_ to write a scene where Pyrrha was skipping classes with friends for the first time and enjoying the experience. She's adorable.

Thanks and leave a review! The next one will be **good _._**

knuckz


	16. Blood 1-4 - scene iv

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.4**

 **iv**

* * *

"Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey! Huh-ha!."

It was obviously a practiced speech, and not a successful one at that. Jaune certainly didn't think much of the man at first glance. There was a false bravado in him but not the same as he had seen in others. Certainly, Qrow came across as a drunk at first glance, but there was still a sense of danger to him.

The more he heard the man speak, the more the annoyance built inside of him. This was not the picture he got from Qrow when the man spoke about being a Huntsman.

The blond sighed, slumping in his seat. He saw the diagrams of different Grimm on the board behind the Professor, though he wasn't able to make out the letters or names. As the man droned on and on, Jaune's enthusiasm for the class dwindled further and further. Professor Port was nothing short of pompous as he told them of a story of him fighting a Beowolf.

 _This_ was Beacon? He knew Qrow had good intentions, that he and Ozpin would help find his family in exchange for becoming a Huntsman, but the blond couldn't help but feel he had been taken advantage of.

"Jaune," Pyrrha whispered to him, "You should take some notes."

He rolled his eyes even as he saw the girl diligently taking her own annotations. He probably wouldn't have bothered taking notes in this class even if he knew how to write.

"From _this_ guy?" he whispered back incredulously, "That'd be the day."

The redhead looked taken aback at his callous disregard for the teacher, though he didn't quite understand why.

"O-oh," was all the girl could get out, looking back down at her notes. Jaune noticed her shoulders hunch and saw her lean away from him slightly. Was she… upset for some reason? Maybe he was a relative or something.

Feeling someone's eyes on him, he looked over to the adjacent row and found Blake's amber eyes meeting his own. She also seemed a bit surprised but she quickly looked away. Had she overheard him?

He slumped even further, putting his forehead on the desk and closing his eyes as he tried to drown out the sound of the man's drawling speech. The blond wasn't the only one missing the teacher's lecture, though probably the most obvious about it.

His fellow leader had outright fallen asleep much to her partner's consternation. Weiss spent her time between trying to diligently take notes and giving Ruby disgruntled looks. Yang hid behind her own book, at least keeping the image of a studious pupil. Nora had come prepared, wearing glasses with fake eyes for lenses as she leant back in her chair, sound asleep.

"Mr Branwen!"

The entire class looked at the blond who didn't react to his name being called.

"Mr Branwen!"

Pyrrha nudged him, looking slightly concerned. Jaune looked up at her for a moment, then realized that the eyes of the entire class were on him. The teacher was also looking at him with a less-than-pleased look on his face.

"Do you perhaps find my classes boring?" Port asked him, to which Jaune desperately wanted to reply yes. Qrow would have, but Jaune also remembered the shaken look Pyrrha had given him earlier when he refused to take notes, so he held his tongue.

"Hmm… I believe then you might be the perfect candidate," the teacher said, ignoring the rest of the class snickering at the blond, "Typically, I have a student test their mettle against a live Grimm in this class. I held off on it as I was hoping one of your group would do it."

"If I recall, you did kill a Deathstalker by yourself during your initiation," Port said, gesturing to the open floor near him, "Perhaps you can show us your prowess as a Huntsman-to-be?"

Despite his lack of social skills, Jaune knew it wasn't a suggestion. Grunting, the blond walked down to where the Professor was waiting with a caged Grimm. Looking at the cage, Jaune didn't notice another student stick his foot out at the last second and tripped over it.

The class erupted in laughter as the blond barely kept himself from falling. Jaune turned back to glare at the one who tripped him, a boy with burnt-orange hair and a nasty smirk. He shrugged innocently, causing anger to bubble up in Jaune.

"Are you coming, Mr Branwen?" Port asked in a no-nonsense tone. Jaune wanted to ignore him but saw the pleading look on Pyrrha's face and relented. Giving the boy one final glare, he made his way to the front of the classroom. Jaune noticed that Port had already summoned his locker, opening it to reveal his sword.

Port handed Jaune his weapon when he reached the floor but he was too angry to use Reaper. To the surprise of the class, Jaune kept it sheathed, holstering it in the usual place at his back. The teacher took it in stride, opening the cage to reveal a Boarbatusk.

"Let's see how you fare against a Boarbatusk," the man said, stepping back and watching Jaune carefully.

The blond looked at the Boarbatusk with familiarity. Qrow had called them Spinnypigs, though Jaune now knew that it had most likely been another joke on the man's part; probably the other names he had told the boy were as well. Instead of taking it for the teasing it was, it only fed into the deadly anger building inside the boy.

These creatures were exceedingly simple for him to deal with, even without a weapon. He knew they had weak bellies like Deathstalkers, but he also knew that they also had extremely weak jaws. A fact that he had learned about a few months into his exile, almost at the cost of his life.

His blood had saved him then, only just barely. With aura, this was just a joke. Jaune decided he would take Qrow's words to heart. His mentor had called his original fighting style savage and crude, but it was what he desperately needed right now. He felt the stirrings of old fury from when he was younger.

A young child against a nonstop attack of the creatures of Grimm, never given any rest. His anger had attracted more Grimm, which fed into more anger. It wasn't until Jaune had calmed a bit that he learned that they were attracted to negative feelings.

The Boarbatusk charged at him, not even using its more devastating spinning attack. Jaune stood there at the ready, not bothering to dodge. The class watched with bated breaths, even the teacher looked slightly baffled at his decision to not use his weapon.

"Jaune, move!"

Ignoring Ruby's warning, he deftly avoided the creature's tusks and _shoved_ his hand into the Boarbatusk's open mouth. Grabbing onto its jaw, Jaune let a small trickle of blood escape into the beast before focusing his aura, strengthening his hand. Same as with the Deathstalker, it wasn't enough blood to convert it, but with his hand concealed in its mouth, the effect was perfectly hidden. He leaned his weight against the Grimm, stopping it's charge and grappled the closest tusk.

The use of aura came so naturally to him now. He knew it wasn't anywhere near the control Qrow or even his classmates displayed before, but for this creature it was more than enough. Utilizing the surplus of strength provided by his aura, Jaune pulled hard, using the leverage of his grip on the Grimm's tusk to break its jaw and completely rip it off.

Tossing the dying corpse onto the ground, Jaune saw the Grimm evaporate like the countless he had seen before. His aura already began healing the cut on his hand, the bandages soaking up the blood as best they could. The entire class was silent, everyone staring at him with a mixture of either shock, fright, and in Nora's case, excitement.

Jaune took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling some of the anger fade away.

He felt better.

* * *

 **Notes:** Aaaand that just happened.

I'm actually not going to say anything here, I'd rather see what people are going to say. But hey, there's actually going to be one more scene before 1-5, and it's a long one.

Cheers and let me know your thoughts! Not a huge response last time, so I'm hoping for a good amount of reviews this time.

knuckz


	17. Blood 1-4 - scene v

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.4**

 **v**

* * *

As his anger continued to ebb away, Jaune curiously looked around the room not understanding why they had all fallen mute. It had only been a Spinnypi- a _Boarbatusk_. Despite their armor, their weak spots were pronounced and easy to hit, not to mention that their attacks were pretty much straightforward and easily avoidable. Unless someone was inattentive enough to get caught by its spinning attack, this species of Grimm were possibly the easiest to deal with.

Apart from the people he didn't know, his teammates also had a variety of different looks on their face, ranging from Ruby's awed to Pyrrha's ashen.

Deciding to ignore the shocked stares of his classmates, Jaune shot a look at the teacher who coughed into his fist, flustered.

"Yes, yes! Very well done Mr Branwen," Port said, "You remind me of a younger me, in fact. Now, I believe we're out of time for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings. Teams JNPR and RWBY, come see me please."

Jaune, already being near the front of the class watched as most of his classmates left the room, whispering and giving him strange looks. He saw his and Ruby's team approach the front of the room tentatively, looking slightly apprehensive at what they thought might be a dressing down.

"Now students, I do understand that you have been chosen to participate in this new venture that Beacon has created," he said, "Of course, standing out amongst your peers might put more pressure on you than you anticipated, but once you graduate into becoming the fine Huntsmen and Huntresses I know you'll be, you won't have a chance to skip out on your duties. I can forgive the actions you take here, but out there first impressions last. Be more careful in the future."

Jaune took the Professor's words in stride, taking them at face value more than anything. He did manage to glimpse at some of the team, noticing that they held a certain acknowledgement for the man's words more than he did.

Perhaps this was the difference between him and the rest of his classmates. Qrow had called Huntsman the protectors of the world. His friends were different from him, they were here to be heroes, to protect the public. However, Jaune was only here because of a deal. Become a Huntsman and they would try to find his family.

It wasn't much of a decision, and really anything was better than the life he led before. The blond did truly appreciate the opportunity Qrow had given him, but he sometimes felt that he wasn't allowed to have another choice. It was a noose around his neck, but Jaune knew better than anyone that life wasn't fair. He had to make the most of it.

"I know that Professor Goodwitch already assigned detentions, but I'm afraid I'll be assigning you some extra readings for my class as punishment," Port said, and Jaune knew immediately he wasn't going to be doing those, "Perhaps it will help tide you over with your other classmates if they see you being punished. Run along now, Professor Oobleck shouldn't be kept waiting."

"Thank you, Professor," Weiss said, giving the man a small curtsy. The group left the room all together, feeling chastened after the man's lecture.

"Perhaps we shouldn't have tested our teacher's patience," Ren said as the group headed to their next class.

"We'll be more careful in the future," Ruby promised, "But first! Jaune, that was SO COOL!"

Jaune stepped away from her, surprised by her outburst.

"Oh, was it?"

"Yeah! You were like kapow, wutah!" Nora said excitedly, jumping around and making karate moves.

"Gotta admit, didn't expect you rip that thing in half with your bare hands," Yang said, grinning appreciatively, "I bet that Grimm didn't think that taking you on was a difficult _tusk_. Huh, huh?"

Most of the group groaned at her though Jaune didn't get it. Pyrrha grabbed Jaune's bandaged hand, obviously having been worried since he fought the Grimm.

"I can't believe you did that," she said, scolding him, "Your bandages are all bloodied now. What were you thinking, Jaune?"

"My aura's already healed it," Jaune told her, though she ignored him as she began unwrapping the bandage. Jaune felt equal parts annoyed and comforted by the girl's nursing.

"It was an uncivilized and uncouth method of fighting," Weiss said, "You may be strong, but show some restraint in your fighting style."

"What the…"

Pyrrha, having finally unwrapped the bandages from his hand saw it for the first time, gazing at it in dismay. A nearby gasp had shown that Yang had seen them as well. His hand was completely littered with old lines and lacerations, trophies of all the times he had cut himself to use his blood but hadn't had aura to completely heal the wound.

Remembering Qrow's advice about keeping his hands covered, Jaune snatched his hand away and immediately wrapped it up, ignoring that the bandage was bloodied.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked, not having seen Jaune's hand and curious about the look on Pyrrha's face.

"It's nothing, Ruby," Yang spoke up immediately, clapping a hand on her shoulder and leading her to the front, "Now come on, we really shouldn't be late a second time."

The group arrived to Oobleck's class right on time, taking a seat near the back corner this time to avoid the gazes from the rest of the class. Jaune had been even less enthused for this class than he was for Port's. At least learning about Grimm could be of use to him, but what would the history of Remnant ever matter? While Port had been a blustering man, Oobleck was a very fast talker, speaking a bit too fast for Jaune to keep up. If the blond even cared about learning anything in this class, he probably wouldn't have been able to considering he could barely understand the man speak.

Sighing, Jaune rested his head on the desk. This time, Pyrrha didn't bother him about taking notes, though he did feel her give him a distressed glance every so often. He mostly ignored it, not bothering to even attempt to know the reason why. Was it because he was a bad student? Was there something wrong with his scarred hands?

Like Port, Professor Oobleck had also acknowledged the group by asking them questions though he seemed to avoid Jaune, perhaps having been forewarned by Port. Whichever the reason was, Jaune was glad.

When Oobleck's class was over, the blond let out a sigh of relief. The day had been zero for two so far, and it didn't bode all that well for the last class of the day he had; combat class with Glynda.

As they made their way to Glynda's sparring arena, Jaune noticed that the group had fractured somewhat. Yang was off whispering something furiously to Blake, obviously something she didn't want advertised. Ruby was happily chatting with her own partner, and though Weiss did not look enthused she was talking back to the younger girl.

Ren and Nora followed behind them, both silent but mostly in good spirits. At least Nora was; Jaune hadn't really seen too much emotion out of the only other male in their collective teams and found it hard to tell what he was thinking.

Pyrrha walked diligently at his side, her eyes unfocused and on the floor, lost in thought. Glynda's class was always at the end of the day and there was a small break before it, allowing students to grab their gear and change into their combat clothes. Some of the more daring students would take the chance to grab a quick bite to eat, but nobody in their class had bothered.

Once they arrived at the arena, Jaune inspected it thoroughly. It was very much a straightforward place. There was no place for him to hide behind cover; it was truly meant for him to fight someone in a head to head one-on-one fight.

He instantly knew that he would be at a disadvantage fighting here.

"Now that everyone has arrived, we can begin," Glynda addressed the class imperiously, "Welcome to your very first Combat class at Beacon. In here, you will practice and hone your skills in a structured environment. Your opponents will be your classmates and there will be a variety of different battles, such as one-on-one, or team versus team."

A few people glanced over at the eight of them, wondering how team battles would go in their case.

"I believe most of you are familiar with how a sparring class works, but we will still go over the rules," she continued to explain, "I will call two combatants to the stage. Miss Nikos, would you mind assisting?"

"Of course, Professor," Pyrrha replied politely before heading down to the floor with all eyes on her, remaining dignified despite the stares and mutters of her schoolmates. Glynda looked through her scroll, perhaps trying to find a match for the girl.

"Miss Belladonna," she said, "Would you like to try your hand?"

Blake, not having a reason to refuse, nodded and headed to the floor as well, standing in front of Pyrrha. Almost everyone knew of the redhead's fighting prowess, and she had seen the girl charge at a Nevermore by herself. On the other hand, Jaune was about to see his partner fight for the first time.

"Now then," Glynda began, waving at the giant screen resting behind her, "You can see that their aura levels are displayed on the screen. If you check your scrolls, you can also track your aura level's on that. As it is right now, both Miss Nikos and Miss Belladonna have their aura at the full capacity, which is why the bar is at green. Should they take suitable damage, their aura will dip into the yellow, and finally the red."

"If your are knocked out of the combat floor, that will constitute a loss. If your aura is in the red, it also means that you've lost the match. When their aura drops to red, all combat for that competitor will cease. There is a reason why we have a strict no-combat policy for if one's aura is in the red. Once your bar runs out," Glynda said, somehow adopting an even sterner voice, "this means that you or your opponent has no remaining aura left. Any attacks after this point will do you physical damage. There will be no tolerance for this, so do be careful."

Glynda walked off the floor, giving the two girls space to fight. Blake eyed Pyrrha warily though Pyrrha kept a blank face, standing with quiet confidence and not even the slightest bit of cockiness.

"Let's have a good match," she said to the dark-haired girl. Blake smiled and gave her opponent a tight nod, backing away from the girl slowly. Glynda pressed a few buttons on her scroll, and a three second countdown began on the giant screen.

Once the countdown finished, a horn blared out, signifying the start of the match much to Jaune's eagerness. Neither girl moved at first, both taking the time to assess the other.

With a slight shift in her footing, Pyrrha charged at the girl first, her shield held in front of her with her sword at the ready as well. Blake held out her own weapons defensively, tensely awaiting the champion's quick charge. The redhead smashed straight through her, black smoke dispersing as Pyrrha's blitz did not make any physical contact. Blake appeared at the girl's flank and attacked but the redhead had been waiting for her, deflecting the attack with her shield and swinging her own sword, hitting the bow-wearing girl in the side.

First hit to Pyrrha.

Blake took the blow as best as she could and jumped back to gain some distance before Pyrrha could land another one, but the redhead did not allow her any respite, charging right at her again. Forced to dodge again, the dark-haired girl made use of her Semblance once again but this time Pyrrha seemed to follow her accurately despite the brief stealth it provided her.

She grit her teeth as she barely avoided another strong blow from the Mistralian champion. Unlike most of her fellow students here, Blake grew up outside the Kingdoms and was involved in a lot of direct conflict instead of just in-class sparring. She had assumed that this would give her an edge over others in combat, but she had never fought such a difficult opponent before.

Ducking a swipe, Blake tried attacking Pyrrha in another desperate attempt to regain a little bit of control but Pyrrha deflected with her shield yet again. Another attack came from that dreaded red and gold weapon, forcing the girl to block it. The force behind the slash was jarring the the beauty knew her aura had to have taken a dip even though it had been blocked. Using her Semblance again, Blade jumped back. Pyrrha completely ignored the clone, shifting her weapon into a rifle and firing a few shots at Blake's feet, causing her to roll out of the way.

It seemed that no matter what she tried, regardless of how she tried to confuse the redhead with her Semblance, Pyrrha always seemed to know where she was or where to attack. Despite them being the same age, this was the first time that Blake felt so utterly… _outclassed_.

As her roll ended, Blake looked for her opponent only to feel a shield slam into her from the side, knocking her onto the ground. The horns blared again, and she heard the teacher call the match.

A hand was suddenly in front of her face and Blake looked up to see Pyrrha standing above her with a friendly smile on her face. Blake took the proffered hand and was pulled onto her feet.

"Good match, Blake," Pyrrha said, "Well fought."

Blake gave the girl a disbelieving look, looking up at the scoreboard. Her own aura was in the red while Pyrrha's was completely full. Well fought indeed; Pyrrha hadn't taken _any_ damage. But the girl's smile was so sincere and kind that she found herself smiling back.

"Thanks," she replied as Glynda walked back onto the floor.

"Well done," she said to both of them, "As you can see class, Miss Belladonna's aura has fallen into the red, signifying the end of the match. Now, let's have another demonstration. This time, I will use a randomization process like you will see in future tournaments should you take part."

The screen flipped through the portraits of all the students. Jaune, having enjoyed the previous fight immensely, watched the board eagerly.

"Mr Branwen and Mr Thrush, please make your way to the floor," Glynda called out, looking at the chosen combatants. Jaune practically ran to the floor in excitement, hearing Nora and Ruby cheer him on. The other boy, Russel Thrush, seemed a lot more stricken.

"The rules are the same as before," Glynda said. She gazed at Jaune for a moment, perhaps trying to communicate something to him, but the blond had no idea what. Again, she left the floor, activating the countdown for the match.

As the clock counted down from three, Jaune withdrew his weapon, releasing the blade but deciding against using it in its scythe form. Russel eyed the blond cautiously as he held his daggers up, obviously thinking of Port's class from earlier.

Jaune heard the horn blare out again, but didn't charge immediately like Pyrrha had. There was no way for him to ambush the boy so he had to take advantage of his other capabilities. He had a major advantage with reach, given how big his sword was to Russel's daggers. Qrow had told him one of his strengths was the explosiveness in his attacks.

Holding out his weapon, Jaune moved forward in slow, deliberate steps. Russel took a step back for every step he took forward but he was still getting closer due to his longer strides. Once he had deemed himself close enough, the blond bent at the knees and jumped at the boy. Swinging his weapon, Jaune aimed a horizontal slash at the boy's chest.

Russel ducked, completely dodging the blow but Jaune didn't relent, using a foot as a pivot to spin around completely and slash at the boy again. Russel completely dropped to the ground this time, dodging the swing again and kicking out with his leg. His kick was strong enough to trip Jaune and he pressed forward with his own attack.

The blond took the attack from the dagger, feeling the blow through his aura but countered by smashing Russel with the hilt of the sword. Russel stumbled back a bit but recovered faster than Jaune anticipated, getting inside of his guard and attempting to strike him in the shoulder.

Jaune leant away from the blow, only just barely avoiding it but was caught on his backfoot as Russel tackled him, landing another blow to his torso. Jaune swing his sword at the boy again, hoping to put some distance between them. To his relief, the boy jumped back.

"Come on Russ! Show him who's boss!"

Holding the sword in a defensive stance, the blond looked at his opponent a lot more carefully this time. He hadn't seemed like much before the fight started. His frame was thin and wiry, and Jaune assumed the boy wouldn't be able to take a heavy blow. But the blond wasn't exactly bulky himself, despite being deceptively hardy.

Russel charged at him this time, quick as a fox. He moved faster than Jaune expected, but not fast enough. He brought up the face of his weapon to parry the boy's dagger strike and stepped forward, slashing diagonally at him. Russel spun around the blow, completely evading the attack and slipping behind him. Jaune felt more quick attacks to his back, his aura preventing any serious damage from occurring. Spinning, he swung at the boy who again had backed off.

He felt his annoyance build. Reaper was a bulky weapon and despite his training with it, wielding the sword slowed him down compared to how fast and agile he was without it. Russel on the other hand had extremely light daggers. He couldn't do as much damage but his hit and run technique was perfect.

"Go Jaune! You can do it!"

"Not as strong as you made us think, huh?" Russel said, smirking at him. Jaune narrowed his eyes at the boy.

Grinding his teeth in rage, Jaune charged at the boy again. He moved faster this time, his speed fueled by his rising anger. He swung viciously at the boy as if aiming to bisect him. Russel was prepared however, meeting his blow this time. The boy flinched at the strength behind the blond's attack, feeling the damage it had done to his aura regardless of the block, but he pushed the sword back and attacked at Jaune's grip.

He wasn't able to avoid the attack and could only watch as Russel relieved him of his weapon by slashing at his wrists. As Jaune dropped Reaper, Russel kicked it away but didn't press his attack. Instead, Russel walked forward slowly with a cocky smirk.

Their positions had been reversed as Jaune took a cautious step back for every step forward. He glanced at the scoreboard. His aura was lower but that deflection from Russel had cost his opponent a decent chunk of aura.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, "Scared?"

Jaune clenched his fist at the boy's taunting. It was one thing to hear Qrow mock him, but there was something else coming from Russel. Qrow was always teasing him, but there was a certain sense of disdain he felt from the boy. Russel looked… pleased.

"Don't worry Jauney," he said, "It's okay to be a coward."

The jeers and the shouts of support from his teammates, all the outside noise faded. His eyes glittered dangerously as he glared at Russel. The blood was pumping in his veins, he could hear the pulsing in his ears.

Coward?

Russel charged at him, intent on ending the match against his weaponless opponent. He did not anticipate however that the blond would be able to move faster now that he wasn't burdened with a heavy weapon.

Jaune's hand flashed out, taking hold Russel's wrist and avoiding the stab from the dagger. He pulled the boy toward him and punched him hard in the face. Russel flinched at the punch but lashed out with the other dagger. The blond caught this attack as well, now holding both of his arms. Rearing back, Jaune smashed his forehead into Russel's.

But he didn't let go.

Not caring that he was also doing damage to himself, Jaune headbutted the boy again. And again. And again. Russel didn't stop struggling and Jaune didn't stop his relentless attack.

The horn blared and he heard someone call the match, but he didn't stop. It didn't matter that both their aura's were now in the red. It didn't matter.

Not until he won.

He smashed his head into Russel's one final time, finally knocking the boy unconscious. The blond felt something split in his head, under the white bandage. He ignored the blood that was now trickling down his head. It didn't matter, not now that he was victorious. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, feeling better.

"ENOUGH!"

Jaune looked over at Glynda who was furiously making her way to the floor, both his team, RWBY and JNPR, as well as Russel's team making their way to the floor. Realizing he was still holding Russel's limp body, Jaune let go unceremoniously, letting the boy hit the ground.

"You!" The boy that tripped him in Port's class made his way forward threateningly. Jaune tensed but Glynda held her hand out.

"No, Mr Winchester. Take Mr Thrush to the infirmary immediately. Your team is dismissed," Glynda said. The boy gave Jaune one last glare before gathering his teammate with the help of another.

"Jaune..." Glynda said, but she paused as she carefully considered her words. She remembered her conversation with Qrow. This was _bound_ to happen, he was a ticking time-bomb. It frustrated her to no end. What could she do that didn't poison him further, one way or another?

"Jaune, what was that?" Ruby asked quietly. Pyrrha approached him carefully, looking at the injury on his head worryingly. The rest of the group looked at him cautiously while the remaining people in the room whispered amongst themselves.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked curiously.

"What- what-"

Jaune looked up at the scoreboard, noticing both his and Russel's aura were completely depleted. He looked back at his friends.

"So… did I win?"

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** And we've come across Jaune versus another person.

He's not as strong as some people might have thought. He was actually about to lose to Russel Thrush there if he hadn't been underestimated at the end there. See, Jaune has a lot of experience fighting Grimm but not so much against other people. Even against Russel, three months of Huntsman training is not enough. Qrow's weapon is all Jaune knows how to fight with because that's what he trained with, but it doesn't suit him. But he's a vicious fighter, and that is what will put people off and make him seem stronger than he actually is.

But this is where Jaune's upbringing (or lack of, rather) comes into play. He's been surrounded by violence, creatures trying to kill him for eight years. He's had three months of conditioning from Qrow to ready him for Beacon. We don't know exactly what Qrow taught him (well, _you_ guys don't), but when put under pressure he reverts back to what he knows: violence, survival, and winning no matter what. There have to be repercussions for Jaune, but the problem Glynda will have is that it needs to be handled delicately. What he did was wrong, but Jaune doesn't really know that and more importantly, he doesn't _understand_ that it was wrong.

Glynda's in for a difficult conversation. And in regards to Professor Port, I'm not meaning to write him in as weak or pathetic; we're simply seeing him mainly from Jaune's perspective and Jaune wouldn't really see or assume the man is all that strong given his boastful nature and general appearance.

As for the battle between Blake and Pyrrha, we're shown exactly how strong Pyrrha is. As it is, she wiped the floor with Blake who is an extremely adept fighter and one of the best in her peer group. I want everyone to know that Pyrrha is _stupidly_ ahead of all her peers.

Anyway, drop a review and let me know what you think! Just a heads up, while this scene is long, not all of them will be, not until we hit around 2.x. Lastly, I'm taking a short break, I should post again in a couple of days.

knuckz


	18. Blood 1-5 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.5**

 **i**

* * *

"Class dismissed," Glynda said aloud to the class as she looked at Jaune with a small frown, "Teams RWBY and JNPR stay behind."

In truth, Glynda hadn't wanted to dismiss the class but this was a delicate situation. Jaune was treating the current circumstances as if it were ordinary with the slightest bit of confusion, but both his team and team RWBY were shocked at his casual violence and lack of empathy.

Pyrrha, having produced a clean rag, began dabbing at the blood on Jaune's face though the blond took the cloth from her to do it himself. The girl fell back awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

After the room emptied, Glynda turned to the team of eight and gave them a considering look before deciding that it would be better to speak at a more private location.

"We'll speak in my office," she told them, "If you'll follow me."

The group followed the yellow-haired instructor, remaining quiet for the most part. Glynda walked at a brisk pace, quickly leading them to the room. She chanced a glance back at the group, noticing that while they stuck together as a group, Jaune was given a bit of a berth. Even Pyrrha had given him a bit of space, though she did stick by him closer than the others.

Stepping into her office, Glynda ushered the students inside and closed the door behind her. Walking over to her desk, she leaned against it and gestured to the several open seats in the room.

"Please, take a seat," she said. Shuffling their feet, several of the kids sat down uncertainly. Glynda remained silent for a moment, still unsure how to approach the upcoming conversation. She noticed some of the students growing a bit restless and knew she had to say something.

"Jaune," she said, finally speaking up, "How are you feeling?"

"Well, relaxed I guess," he said. His reply caused some of his teammates to tense slightly. The first of them to speak up was Weiss.

"How can you be relaxed after that?" she asked sharply, not quite angry but still sounding upset.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"'What do I mean'..." Weiss repeated, "Why in the world would you do that to him?"

"Do what? We fought and I won."

"That's-"

"Miss Schnee, please," Glynda interrupted before the conversation got out of hand. She wanted Jaune to see that his teammates were agitated by his actions, but wouldn't let it come to blows.

"Jaune, what were you thinking when you attacked Mr Thrush like that?" Glynda asked calmly, "Just… walk me through your thought process."

In fairness, Glynda likely knew why he had done that. He had been angered, pushed to the point to where he reacted in the best way he knew how. Only three months of tutelage were obviously nowhere near enough to overcome what was likely a daily dose of violence for eight years. But she still asked because she wanted his team to see it as well.

"I fought like I normally do," Jaune said, "I mean, first I was using the sword like Qrow taught me, but it slowed me down a lot. He didn't expect me to be faster without it, so I used it to my advantage."

"I believe Weiss was referring to your final attack on Russel," Ren said, "Your fighting style is… brutal but effective. However, you fought past the point where your auras were in the red."

"He was struggling," the blond replied, "The fight's not over until your opponent goes down."

"You could have seriously hurt him as well as yourself, Jaune," Pyrrha told him, "You were actually bleeding."

Jaune just shrugged, causing some of them to look at him in disbelief.

"I wasn't that hurt," he said, "Besides, it's not like I actually killed him."

"There is a reason why we stop the fight at certain points," Glynda said, cutting off any protests she knew his last comment would incite, "There's no point in fighting until one of you is injured. Your opponents here aren't Grimm, they are your comrades."

"Him?" Jaune asked derisively. Glynda had also been afraid of this. The blond had spent so much time alone that he wasn't used to societal norms. She had heard the comments the Thrush boy had made to him, and anyone would recognize him as a bully or just impolite. Jaune however didn't have that distinction; he classified everyone around him to be either a friendly or an enemy.

Before the conversation could derail further, the door to Glynda's office open and Ozpin walked in, his cane in one hand and a mug in the other.

"Hello Glynda," he greeted. The students sat up straighter at the sight of the headmaster, even Jaune.

"Professor Ozpin," Glynda replied, "How can I help you?"

"I am here to ask if I may borrow young Mr Branwen for a while," the man asked. Glynda immediately realized that Ozpin had likely witnessed the fight between Jaune and Russel Thrush.

"Of course," she replied, "Jaune, please go with the headmaster."

Jaune had gone rigid at the headmaster's request but followed obediently. Was it fear that motivated him in regards to Ozpin? Glynda _hated_ that the boy felt as if they were practically holding the possibility of finding his family hostage.

Once the two had left the room, the blonde realized she could do damage control with his team without causing any ill feelings from Jaune.

"I'm sure that most if not all of you know that Beacon is a separate entity from the government of Vale," she said, "It is because of this that we accept students from all walks of life, whether you're from Vale or Mistral, or anywhere else."

"Normally," she continued, "admittance into Beacon require a certain level of competence as well as a minimum age. Every so often, there are exceptional circumstances regarding the students we let into this school."

"Like Ruby," Yang spoke up, "She got in two years early."

"Yes," Glynda said, "And like Miss Rose, Jaune is another exceptional circumstance, perhaps even more so. I… can't tell you too much about him without breaking his trust. It's just... Jaune's situation requires a very delicate approach from myself and the headmaster. Miss Nikos, as his partner, can you tell us what kind of impression he has made on you?"

Pyrrha looked to the floor for a moment as she considered her words, recalling her first meeting with Jaune.

"He seemed like a very sincere person, though a little bit confused," she said honestly, "When we met in the Emerald Forest, he was very kind to me. And as much as I think he shouldn't have done it, he did lead off that Deathstalker to save us."

"But… he was also a bit rude," she added, "Not to me, or any of us of course. He was dismissive of Professor Port. And I certainly did not expect him to display such casual cruelty in his spar. Attacking a defeated opponent like he did is atrocious behaviour."

"It was barbaric and violent," Weiss said, "He's acted like a degenerate since our very first class today."

"Please understand that while his actions may come across as malicious or vile, Jaune isn't inherently a cruel person," Glynda told them, "He didn't do that in an act of cruelty or even vengeance. He just… he doesn't understand that what he did was wrong."

"What do you mean he doesn't understand?" Ruby asked, "You can't hurt people like that, even if they're being mean!"

"He's from the Wilds," Blake interjected softly, making Glynda look at her in surprise, "Maybe he really just doesn't know any better."

"So when he told us he wasn't from around here…" Weiss said with dawning comprehension.

"He told me he was from the Wilds near Mistral," Pyrrha chipped in, glancing at Blake. She hadn't known that Jaune had informed the dark-haired girl as well.

"His hand," Yang whispered softly. Pyrrha looked saddened as she recalled what she had seen.

"What about his hand?" Weiss asked. She had calmed down a bit, obviously realizing there was more to the blond than she had thought.

"I saw it when Pyrrha unwrapped it," Yang explained, her eyebrows furrowing as she remembered the sight, "It was completely _covered_ in scars. Like he'd been in a war or something."

The group fell silent as they considered what Jaune had possibly been through. They knew that the Wilds were unpleasant to be in, Blake most of all. Glynda looked at them without a sound. They seemed to understand Jaune a little better now, though they obviously had not realized the horror of the full story.

"He was brought to us by a friend of ours," she explained, "He entrusted Jaune to our care."

"That's Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said, surprised, "You know our uncle?"

"For quite some time," the teacher told her, smiling, "Qrow is the one that gave him a recommendation in order for us to admit him into Beacon. Your uncle may be a lot of things, but he is someone we consider trustworthy."

"Ultimately, I would like to ask that you be patient with Jaune," Glynda said, "I'm sure he will open up to you once he gets to know you all. What he needs most of all now are friends that will stand by his side."

Everyone paused as they considered her words. Pyrrha especially looked dejected, probably chiding herself for thinking poorly of her partner.

"Well, he is Uncle Qrow's apprentice," Yang reasoned, "Like he told us, Jaune is pretty much family. We've got his back."

Ruby looked slightly ashamed she had forgotten that, but nodded along with her sister's statement. Glynda knew she was a kind girl and was probably dismayed that she thought badly of someone she could consider family.

"We'll stand by our team leader," Nora spoke up with a grin, having been unusually quiet, "Besides, that other guy had it coming for being such a jerk. I would've broken his legs."

"I'll help him as much as I can," Pyrrha promised, "You're right, he doesn't need to be judged, he needs our understanding and support."

Glynda smiled as the rest of the group voiced their own support for their friend.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "However, don't think this absolves you from your punishment for skipping your class today."

"Oh, come on!"

"As soon as Mr Branwen returns, you will be serving your detentions here with me," Glynda told them sternly, causing them to groan.

"You'll be with me for an hour. What shall I have you do?" she said, pretending to think for a moment before giving them a smile, "I believe that in return for your discretion, I can arrange for you to have lunch here."

"Yes!"

"You're the _best_ , Ms G!"

Glynda looked at the group as they began conversing with one another excitedly, happy smiles on their faces. She couldn't help but think that Jaune had stumbled into some great friends. Hopefully, his good fortune would last as long as possible.

* * *

 **Notes:** This is what happens when you have a semi-decent Beacon staff. Glynda is obviously showing her favoritism here (saying 'Jaune' instead of 'Mr Branwen' or letting the team have lunch), which paints an interesting picture on what direction her character may take in the future.

In any case, the team finally has somewhat of an idea of what's going on with Jaune. And again, I'll remind people to read between the lines before jumping to conclusions about almost anything you read here.

It's Fanfiction Friday on the RWBY subreddit tomorrow! I'm thinking of promoting this there, but ugh... I don't really like to tell people "Hey! Go read my story!".

Anyway, cheers and leave a review!

knuckz


	19. Blood 1-5 - scene ii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.5**

 **ii**

* * *

Jaune stood beside Ozpin, doing his best to keep his nervousness under control. While he had gotten angry at Russel, he didn't think he did anything particularly outrageous to the boy. Given the reactions of everyone else however, apparently he shouldn't have tried to knock his opponent unconscious.

The elevator ride was uncomfortably long. It definitely felt longer than the time he had come up to Ozpin's office with Qrow. The headmaster of Beacon hadn't said anything to the blond as of yet which only served to feed his agitation.

Was it so serious that he might be in trouble? Would Ozpin kick him out of Beacon for it? He didn't have anywhere to go. Were they going to send him back to the Wilds, give up on finding his family? Terror clenched at his heart at the thought and Jaune hadn't felt like this in a long time.

"Stay calm," Ozpin said, as if he knew exactly what Jaune was thinking, "I've only invited you here to have a conversation, nothing more."

Jaune felt some of the tension leave him at the man's words. He hadn't ever really talked to Ozpin before, not even when he first met the man. Perhaps the man had just wanted to have a conversation with him as Qrow's apprentice and the timing was purely coincidental.

The two arrived at the office soon enough and Ozpin walked over to behind his desk and took his seat, gesturing for Jaune to a seat in front of him. He stared at the boy for a moment before saying anything.

"I don't suppose you've come across many stories during your time in the Wilds, have you?" Ozpin asked. Jaune was taken aback at the question, not sure what the man was talking about.

"No," Jaune replied slowly, "Not really."

"If you would allow me the honor, I would like to tell you a story, Jaune. The very first story you've heard in at least the last eight years," Ozpin said, "Is that okay?"

The blond nodded his consent, relieved he wasn't being expelled.

"Hmm…"

Ozpin rose from his seat, walking over to a section in his office where Jaune noticed a kitchen area. Jaune watched as the man silently made poured something into a mug similar to his own. Walking back over to him, the headmaster handed Jaune the steaming drink.

"I believe a story is always better with hot chocolate and marshmallows," Ozpin said, giving the boy a light smile, "Now then, this story is begins with a boy and a girl as many do."

"Not just a boy and a girl, however," Ozpin continued, watching as Jaune took a sip from the drink, "They were siblings and quite close to each other at that. The brother was the more reckless one between the two, whereas the sister was a bit more serious. If there was one thing that they had in common, it was their love for one another."

"Both of them were entrusted with the task of being protectors of this world, like so many of this world have. They took to the task with conviction and grew stronger and stronger as they trained to the best of their ability."

"Like a Huntsman," Jaune said, making Ozpin nod.

"Yes, much like a Huntsman is a protector of the world. However, these two knew something else. Friends that contained a greater power which served to bring peace to the world in a way that no one else really could," he said, "Well, that power is a tale in and of its own, but we'll leave that for another rainy day."

Jaune looked outside, noticing that it wasn't exactly raining today but didn't bother correcting the man.

"As this brother learned of the powers his friends contained and how much of a difference they made in aiding the people of this planet, he did everything he could to protect them. His sister did so as well, but… she also thought something else," Ozpin said, his voice slightly darkening, "Her quest to grow strong became less something she did for others and more something she did for herself. It grew from being a quest into more of an obsession."

"Instead of protecting their friends, the sister desired that power for herself. At first, she tried to find another way to grow strong but eventually realized that there was nothing she could do that would grant her strength like that of her friends. But... she found out that the power could be transferred. She grew jealous and decided she was more worthy of the power. That jealousy stirred something dark within her and she went after her friends to gain the power for herself."

"Did she succeed?"

"Almost," Ozpin said, "Indeed, she was already very strong and would have succeeded if not for the interference of someone else."

"Her brother," Jaune filled in as he took another swig from his mug; it was quite delicious.

"The sister had abandoned so much for that power. It poisoned her towards her friends, her family. But despite it all, she still loved her brother dearly and he still loved her. Their battle was as tremendous as it was terrible. As strong as she was, her brother was stronger. She fought for herself but he fought for everyone including her," Ozpin said, nearing the end of his tale, "In the end, she was unable to beat him. Her brother spared her life however, unable to strike down the sister that he loved despite it all. She did not go after the power again after their confrontation, but everything she had done had _warped_ her forever. Thus, her brother made her leave, never to return."

The two fell silent as the boy considered the story. The headmaster was trying to tell him something but he wasn't exactly sure what.

"Do they still talk?" Jaune asked, finishing his hot chocolate.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Ozpin replied, "It is just a story Jaune."

The blond didn't quite believe that it was just a story. Hadn't Qrow once mentioned he had a sister? But why would the headmaster want to tell him about them?

"Everybody desires power, Jaune," the bespectacled man said, "What matters is your reason for growing strong. You had to be strong to survive when you were alone in the Wilds. For what purpose do you seek strength now?"

The blond considered his words. His life had changed since then. He had friends, a team. He didn't have to fight for just himself anymore.

"This isn't something that I expect for you to answer today," Ozpin said, "Learning what to fight for is something that can take a lifetime for some. It is more important that you search for an answer rather than come across it."

He sat quietly as he thought of Ozpin's words. The man oddly reminded him a bit of Qrow, at least when he and his mentor had that rare heart to heart on occasion.

"For now, I'll offer you this advice: the friends you have made here are irreplaceable. Do your best to protect them. Now, I believe that Glynda is waiting for you to return," Ozpin said, dismissing the boy, "You still have detention with her. Off you go."

Jaune took those words to heart. Perhaps he didn't know why he truly desired strength now, but he knew what he wanted. If there was anything he was going to do now, it would be to keep his friends safe.

* * *

 **Notes:** Obviously on the short side, but this wasn't meant to be a long scene. However, I'm sure people can guess it's a very relevant one. I'm curious to see what you'll make of it.

There was some really good response to the previous update and I'm glad a lot of people are getting into it. It was mentioned briefly, but Glynda realized something very crucial to Jaune: he identifies people in very one dimensional manners. He doesn't really quite understand bullying or due process. There's a certain distinction between teasing and bullying. Jaune has been teased (mostly by Qrow) and has even done some teasing himself. To some degree, Jaune understands that it's a harmless way people like to communicate with each other. But bullying has a certain sense of malice with it and if there's anything Jaune can recognize, it's malice. But again, he doesn't know how to deal with a bully within the confines of society. Anyone can see Russel / Cardin are being bullies, Jaune sees an enemy.

Obviously, that isn't going to go over well, and it's hard to deal with that kind of thing.

Anyway, thanks for reading and leave another review! I really wanna know what people thought of this chapter. The next two will be pretty fun, I think.

knuckz


	20. Blood 1-5 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.5**

 **iii**

* * *

"Up top, down below, bump one side, spin one-eighty, bump the other side, aaaaand professional business handshake."

Yang and Ruby stepped apart, grinning at the rest of the group. Both Nora and Pyrrha looked interested at their extended handshake ritual, the former more obviously excited than the latter. True to their nature, Ren and Blake kept neutral expressions while Weiss looked as if she wanted no part in their shenanigans.

Jaune felt more confused than anything, but perhaps this was an actual greeting people did with one another. He certainly wouldn't put his hand on someone's chest again.

"Pyrrha, want to learn?" Yang asked. The redhead grinned, walking up to the girl enthusiastically.

"Of course, Yang," she said, "I would love to learn!"

"Alright, so it goes like this," Yang began explaining, "First we go up top for a high five."

Pyrrha met her high five as Yang kept swinging her arm forward.

"Then we go the full arc and go down below for the low five," she said, smacking Pyrrha's reciprocating hand again.

"Hip bump," she continued, bumping into Pyrrha lightly before spinning around.

"Spin and hip bump again, and shake hands like two professionals," Yang finished. Nora jumped forward to take the redhead's place, eager to learn. Ruby was busy trying to convince Weiss to learn it as well.

"Oh, please Weiss, it'll be our team's official handshake and you'll be the only one who won't know!" the fifteen-year-old said.

"Okay, fine. As long as we can go shopping for clothes after," Weiss said, keeping a straight face. Ruby perked up at the girl's suggestion.

"Really?"

"No."

As the two argued, Pyrrha grabbed Jaune's hand, pulling him off his chair with a wide smile.

"Come on Jaune," she said with laughter in her voice, "It's a lot of fun!"

The girl repeated the motions perfectly with the blond who copied her awkwardly, unsure if he was doing it correctly or not. Pyrrha's second hip bump was a bit too powerful, sending him stumbling. Pyrrha laughed innocently at her blunder, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

"I'm sorry Jaune," she said, "Let's try again. We'll get it this time."

Soon enough, everyone on the team were now a party to Yang and Ruby's proposed team ceremony, even the Schnee heiress. The group paused when there was a knock on the door to their common room. Jaune walked over and opened the door, revealing Glynda waiting at the door.

"Hello, students," she greeted, "I hope you're doing well."

"Hey Ms G," Yang greeted, grinning when the teacher frowned at her for her casualness, "What brings you to our humble abode?"

"Actually, I'm here to deliver this to Mr Branwen," she said, holding out a card to him, "There is still plenty of time in the day so you should head down and pick out a full wardrobe for yourself. I would advise that you take someone with you to help out. The lien on this card should be more than enough if you're careful about what you purchase."

"A _full_ wardrobe?" Blake asked.

"I had thought it peculiar that you had no clothing with you," Ren mentioned, "I was under the assumption that perhaps they were late in being delivered."

"You don't have _any_ clothes?" Weiss asked, sounding appalled. Jaune shook his head.

"Perhaps you can take him, Miss Schnee," Glynda suggested, "I'm sure he could use the help of someone with a good head on her shoulders."

"Of course, Professor Goodwitch," she replied earnestly, not one to turn down a request from her instructor.

"Wait… you're going clothes shopping?" Yang asked. Jaune looked at her and noticed a gleam in her eyes that made him slightly uncomfortable. And it wasn't just her; Ruby, Blake, Nora… even Pyrrha?

"Jaune." His name was all Pyrrha said, trying to communicate something to him with just one word: there was absolutely no way she wasn't coming along. Jaune completely misunderstood her intentions.

"Oh, right," he said, turning to Glynda and holding his hand up high for her. Glynda blinked, not quite understanding.

"Uh... sorry, what?" the teacher asked. She felt as if she was missing something.

"I guess you wouldn't know," he said, not lowering his hand as he began to explain, "It's our new team greeting that Yang and Ruby taught us. First you high five."

Glynda looked at his waiting hand and then at the members of his team behind him. They were gaping at the two of them, absolutely dumbfounded at what was happening. There was no way she could do this… but then she saw Jaune's expectant face, completely innocent of any mischievousness. She sighed internally before meeting him up top.

"Then it's down below."

The teacher copied his movements perfectly, not believing she was actually doing this. She jumped slightly when he bumped the side of his hip into hers.

"Hip bump, then you turn around and hip bump again," Jaune said, spinning and waiting for her to follow his lead. The bespectacled woman felt her face redden in embarrassment but spun, barely moving her hip as she bumped into him as well.

"And then a professional handshake," Jaune said, finishing the greeting. Glynda met his hand and chanced another look at the students behind him. Their mouths had not picked up from where they were dropped, still eyeing the scene in utter astoundment. She didn't say a single word and abruptly left the room.

"So…" Jaune said, looking at the stunned silver-haired girl, "I guess we should leave? I don't really know the way…"

"Jaune," Yang said, speaking in hushed tones as she stared at him in amazement.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, "Did I do the greeting wrong or something?"

"You. Are. AMAZING!" the blonde exclaimed, breaking out in hysterical laughter. The blond blinked as the rest of the group started cracking up as well. He chuckled a few times, their glee contagious.

"I, uh, I don't get it," he said, smiling but ignorant.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said, still chuckling, "How about if we make it a team outing? Is it alright if we come with you?"

"Of course!" he said enthusiastically, "Is everyone going to come?"

All of them confirmed that they wanted to join in on his trip, even the somewhat reluctant Ren. Soon enough, the entire team were ready and on a dust-ship down to Beacon. As soon as the blond had seen what was required for him to go down to the city proper, he had tried to beg them for another way down. Perhaps there were stairs.

Unfortunately, he had to endure the ride down though Pyrrha's hand rubbing his back definitely made it more soothing than the first time he had rode on these things. Qrow had just mocked him.

"Well, where should we go?" Nora asked, "I say we find a nice bistro and eat all the best sweets they have."

"Professor Goodwitch put me in charge here," Weiss interjected immediately, "And I won't allow for any distractions. Now come on, we're finding a suitable clothing store. I think I know a place, actually."

The girl led them to an upscale shop with sparse amounts of clothes and exorbitant prices listed on even the clothing modeled at the front of the store.

"I'm not sure how much money is on that card but I don't think it'll be enough to get an entire set of clothes from here," Blake said dryly, inspecting the outrageous price-tag she saw on a pair of jeans, "Actually, it might not be enough for even one set."

"Don't worry princess," Yang said, causing Weiss to glare at her, "I got this so follow me."

The blonde brawler apparently knew exactly where to go and led the group to a fashionable store with much more affordable prices. The storefront had tons of different outfits, not to mention many more different articles inside. Pyrrha and Nora began marvelling at all the garments they had stocked up, looking back at their team leader, imagining him in different outfits. He was completely out of his depth of course.

"Come on, I know someone that can help us," Yang explained, walking into the store with them at her tail, "Cherry! You there?"

"Now if it ain't Yang Xiao Long," the shopkeeper said as she walked forward to greet them, a girl of average height.

"Hey, I got another customer for you," Yang said, grabbing Jaune's arm and pulling him forward, "Need a full wardrobe down to the skivvies."

"I knew I loved you," Cherry told her friend, grinning, "Ooh, I can work with you. Pretty face, not a lot of bust. But hey, tall and slender is a good look as well."

"Jaune's a boy," Pyrrha explained immediately, not wanting the same gender mix-up to happen again, "Everybody always gets confused about it when they see him."

"Well, as I live and breathe," the girl said, "I don't think I've ever seen a boy so pretty. I can work with this as well. First, how about we go and pick out your underwear. What size are you?"

"Uh, size?" Jaune asked, not quite sure what she meant. The clothes he was wearing now were picked out by Qrow and the man hadn't bothered to tell him anything about them. He had just tossed the boy jeans, a shirt, and a jacket.

"You don't remember your size?" the girl asked, looking surprised for a moment, "No problem, you ain't the first boy who don't know anything about clothes. It's usually on the label at the back of your underwear. Just take a quick a look-see."

"Oh, okay," Jaune said, grabbing at his belt buckle.

"NO!" seven voices shouted out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Jaune, you need to go into the changing room," Pyrrha explained, trying to remain as composed as possible. Jaune grinned at them.

"I was just messing with you guys," he said, rolling his eyes, "I know not to undress in public, give me some credit."

The group chuckled nervously as the blond followed Cherry to a changing room.

"So he's a special one," the shop keep said as she came back. Yang gave her a weak grin.

"You don't know the half of it," she replied, thinking back to their conversation with Glynda a few hours prior. Before Jaune returned for their lunch-detention, the seven of them decided to treat Jaune as normally as possible so as not to make him uncomfortable. But they didn't really know how unfamiliar he was with things in the Kingdoms. Apparently, his knowledge did not extend to his clothing sizes.

"Says here I'm a medium!" Jaune called out to them.

"Alright, I think we need to split up the work to make things go a little bit faster," Weiss said, deciding to take charge, "Ren, now that we know his size, can you go find him enough smallclothes?"

"On it," Ren nodded, leaving to find his friend enough underwear to last him for a long time. He had expected as much, being the only other male in the group. Nora, not even bothering to wait for her own instructions bounded off after her childhood friend.

"I believe I'll take care of finding him some formal clothes," Weiss said, looking around to see if this shop even carried anything close to formal, "Yang and Blake, I suppose you can stick with Cherry and find him some everyday clothes."

"I'll come with you!" Ruby said to Weiss, who faltered for a second. Looking at the innocent look on the younger girl's face, the silver-haired girl relented.

"Fine."

"I'll go and find Jaune," Pyrrha spoke up, "Maybe we'll find something he likes for himself."

As the group split up, the green-eyed girl walked over to the changing rooms where her socially-inept partner had gone to.

"Jaune?" she called out, looking at the room he had gone into. He didn't reply, making her frown slightly.

"Jaune, are you there?" she asked, walking up the curtain. When he still didn't reply, she slowly opened the curtain only to find an empty fitting room. The girl looked around wildly to see if she could catch a flash of long blond hair anywhere. The only one she was able to see was Yang.

As she looked around, she did see an exit nearby at the back end of the store. Her heart filled with dread as she realized just what had happened.

They had lost Jaune.

* * *

 **Notes:** That scene with Glynda was so much fun to write. She just couldn't say no to Jaune, who wasn't trying to tease her or prank her.

As you can see, issues with Jaune's gender are very quickly subverted now that his team is in the know. And even Jaune is capable of casual teasing and/or pranks. I'm imagining the shopkeeper, Cherry, to have a sort of southern drawl.

Anyway, this is meant to lighten the mood given the past few chapters.

Cheers and drop a review!

knuckz


	21. Blood 1-5 - scene iv

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.5**

 **iv**

* * *

He followed after the woman he saw quickly, curious about the wavy dessert she held in her hand. Jaune had never seen anything like it, a soft multi-coloured cream-like substance the girl had been licking, placed on top of a wafer she held in her hand.

In short, it looked delicious and the blond thought he might treat his friends to it for coming out with him, especially if Glynda had given him enough lien. Jaune ran up to the girl quickly, calling after her.

"Hey!"

She didn't turn around, possibly because it was a busy street and perhaps thought he was calling out to someone else. He ran all the way over to her to get her attention. The girl was short, shorter than him by over a foot and had hair parted into two different colours, brown and pink.

When Jaune caught up to her, he tapped her on the shoulder to grab her attention. Spinning, the girl looked back at him. She tilted her head slightly, not saying a single word as she looked at him curiously.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you what that… uh, your eyes…" Jaune started saying before noticing the colors of her eyes. One of them was brown and the other was a pale pink.

She still didn't reply, making the boy feel a little bit awkward.

"Did you know your eyes are different colors?" he asked. She smiled at him and nodded her head. Suddenly seeming interested in him, the girl peered at him closely. Jaune supposed that she must have known her eyes were different colors if she had ever looked in a mirror in her life, and felt embarrassed at his question.

"Never mind," he said, "I wanted to ask you what that is. The food you have in your hand."

The girl still didn't say a single word, though she did give him an affronted look. Had he made her angry in some way? She seemed more scandalized than angry, really.

"Right, uh…" Jaune said, feeling more and more out of place as the girl absolutely refused to make a single noise. He turned to walk away and go back to the shop when he felt a hand grab his wrist.

The girl turned him back around and pointed at the dessert in her hand. Jaune shook his head, not understanding what she was trying to say and still not knowing what it was.

"I don't know," he told her, and he saw an unpleased gleam in her eyes. Her hand grasping his wrist firmly, the smaller girl dragged him along with her. Jaune was reluctant to go, not wanting to leave his friends behind but she was unrelenting in pulling him along. He actually felt slightly surprised at the strength in her grip and how she was hauling him with her.

The two ended up in front of a street vendor and he slowly read the words on the man's cart, which said 'Ice Cream' in large letters. He watched as the girl gestured to the man, pointing out something on his menu and giving the vendor some money.

The man produced another soft serve topped wafer from his cart, an exact replica of the one that the girl had. She gave the ice cream cone over to Jaune, encouraging him to take a bite. The blond gave the dessert a tentative lick, tasting the cold confection and finding himself taken aback.

"Whoa, this is really good," he said, giving the mute girl an impressed look. She grinned at him, apparently glad at having introduced someone to the world of ice cream. When she began walking away, the blond followed after her. Jaune continued to eat his ice cream, looking at her contemplatively as he wondered why she wasn't saying anything.

"So, how come you haven't said anything?" he asked, "Do you have a sore throat?"

The girl looked at him for a moment before she began shaking. Jaune wondered if she was cold or if he had said something to scare her, but soon realized she was actually laughing. The girl gestured for the blond to follow her, leading him to another shop he had no idea about.

This time the two arrived at an actual store, selling a multitude of items. Jaune followed the girl inside, watching bemusedly as she cut to the front of the line much to the irritation of the other customers. Once she got to the front, she pointed at a circular type of sweet this time, giving the anxious cashier money as she ignored the protests of the other customers. The cashier faltered under her gaze, giving her two of the items and she made her way back to the waiting blond.

Whipping out her scroll, the girl quickly typed out a message, holding it out for Jaune to read.

'This is a donut,' the boy read, and the girl handed the snack over to him. He took the proffered donut from her and took a big bite, savoring the taste. He had recognized the chocolate on top of it, comparing it to some of the candy that his team had indulged in just last night.

"It's pretty good," Jaune said, finishing off the donut as the girl also laid into hers with similar aggression, "I liked the ice cream better though."

The girl smiled at him approvingly, giving him a nod to indicate her agreement. Reaching for her scroll again, she quickly typed up another message for him to read.

'My name is Neo.'

"I'm Jaune," he said, introducing himself, "You sure do know a lot about desserts, none of my friends even mentioned any of this stuff."

'I'm a connoisseur of confectionery,' she typed back at him, utterly confusing him.

"Uh, I have no idea what you just said," he said, making the girl let out a silent chuckle.

'I need to get going,' she typed to him as she noticed the time on her scroll.

"Oh, right," he said, "I should probably get back to my friends as well."

'It was a short date, maybe I'll see you again,' she typed out. Reaching out with a finger, the girl scraped a small piece of leftover chocolate from his face and licked it sensuously. When Jaune didn't react to her flirting even the slightest, her smile grew wider and she turned on her heel and left.

The boy watched her go for a bit before trying to retrace his steps back to the clothing store. He went back towards the ice cream shop first, noticing it in the distance.

"Jaune!"

Hearing his name, he caught sight of Pyrrha jogging over to him, the rest of his friends on her tail. Between the seven of them, Ren was the only one unfortunate enough to have to carry all of Jaune's purchased items. The blond in question felt slightly bewildered at the look of concern on his partner's face as she reached him, not knowing what had happened.

"Jaune, are you okay?" she asked him, inspecting him closely as if he had taken some sort of injury.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"'What happened?' What happened is that you disappeared on us!" Weiss said, "Where did you go? No, forget where. Why did you leave like that?"

"I saw something that caught my eye," Jaune explained, "Oh, let me show you, it's great."

Not pausing for the group to continue to grill him, he led them over to the ice cream vendor. His friends followed him, not sure what he was trying to show them.

"I saw a girl pass by the shop with one of these and I thought it looked delicious," he said, "So I asked her what it was because I wanted to treat you guys to something for coming with me. Come have some."

Pyrrha felt slightly dispirited when she realized that he had probably never had ice cream before today. He must have been fascinated by it and decided to treat his teammates to something they took for granted. She was reminded that while things like ice cream were such a commonplace food to them, it was a brand new experience with Jaune and he wanted to share that with his friends.

"O-oh," she said, stuttering slightly as her eye's grew slightly wet, "Of course, Jaune. I would be delighted."

"You ditched us for ice cream?" Weiss asked disbelievingly.

"Oh, I suppose you guys would know what it is," he replied with a weak grin, his enthusiasm slightly deflated.

"Of course I…" Weiss trailed off as she caught the smile on Pyrrha's face.

"I…"

It wasn't the usual friendly smile the redhead seemed to give. There was something in it that sent a shiver down her back, something that made her skin crawl.

"Uh…"

Weiss, for the first time in her life, truly discovered exactly how terrifying the Mistralian champion could be. Apart from Jaune, everybody else seemed to catch on rather quickly.

"Wow, that looks interesting Jaune!"

"Thank so much, I can't wait to try it!"

"Way to go! Nice find buddy!"

The Schnee heiress gave the ignorant blond a weak smile.

"No, actually," she responded, _knowing_ Pyrrha's gaze was on her, "I, uh, I'm looking forward to trying it."

"Here's your card, Jaune," the redhead told him as she gave him the card Glynda had given him. She had held onto it for safekeeping before they left as Jaune had no clue on what to do with it, having used it earlier to purchase his clothes.

As Jaune treated his team to ice cream for the 'first' time, Neo was meeting with a companion of her own.

"You're in a good mood," her accomplice mentioned, "I suppose you enjoyed yourself?"

The silent girl nodded, using her free hand to extract a box from her pocket and tossing it over to the man. The man opened the box, revealing a rather feminine severed finger encased inside, a wedding ring prominently displayed on it.

"I suppose he'll cave once he sees his fiancée's finger," he said, chuckling, "Unless he's okay with getting her back in bits and pieces. But hey, love comes in many ways. You _did_ leave her alive, right?"

Neo just smiled innocently, not bothering to respond to the man. Raising her latest cone of ice cream to her mouth, she gave it another lick, relishing the taste.

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** I hope the end of this gives you the right idea: Neo is a very bad person. So if anyone here is a fan of Neo (and I'm sure some people are already shipping Neo x Jaune), I hope you understand that in this story, Neo is someone who's not above torture, murder etc... Either way, it was probably a pretty gnarly case of whiplash.

So, 1-6 begins in the next update and it's the last of the 1-x's. 1-6 also only has three scenes in it. After the 1-x's are over, this story is truly out of the beginning stages. That's also when the update rate will slow down, as I'll have caught up to the current content.

Anyway, we see some of Jaune's lack of knowledge regarding common things. I mean, even Blake's had ice cream before and she's also from the Wilds. Either way, Jaune wandered off like a cat or a puppy, but he only wanted to do something nice for his friends. He's obviously the farthest thing from being 'domesticated', so he doesn't particularly care about following instructions or not wandering off.

Thanks a lot for all the reviews and comments. I hope you continue to review (I read each and every one). I'm taking another short break, next update should hopefully be on Tuesday, so 1-6 should follow the update schedule of Tues-Wed-Thurs and then we're done with 1-x. Right in time for FF Friday on the RWBY subreddit (maybe I'll see this recommended ;), lol)

Cheers!

knuckz


	22. Blood 1-6 - scene i

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.6**

 **i**

* * *

"So there we were, in the middle of the night."

"It was day."

The group listened to Nora's tale about fighting off Grimm, with Ren interjecting every now and then to correct her embellishments. Yang and Ruby were the only ones really listening to the girl as Blake was reading a book as always and Weiss was filing her nails.

Jaune and Pyrrha had already heard the story before when Nora mentioned it in Team JNPR's room so they they didn't really pay attention, deciding instead to focus more on their breakfast than anything.

"We were surrounded by Ursai…"

"They were Beowolves."

Every so often, other students would enter the hall and glance at their team. There probably wasn't a single person in Beacon that hadn't heard of them. There was the popularity of them being the first eight-person team ever in Beacon, but also whispers of the battle prowess of their team. Pyrrha was easily the most famous of the group, her skills in combat vaunted throughout Remnant. Weiss also held quite a lot of acclaim as a Schnee. The students also took notice of Ruby who had entered Beacon two-years early.

However, it was Jaune that currently stood out in amongst Beacon's resident gossipers. His actions in the initiation were already somewhat of a legend, but the students also witnessed what they could only presume was favoritism from the teaching staff as he completely ignored their lessons for the most part. They saw his manners (or rather lack thereof) and his viciousness in combat.

"...it's them."

They did their best to ignore the extra attention, to take the comments and whispers with grace. It was taxing on most of them, especially when they wanted nothing more than to lash out.

"-the blond guy," they heard yet another hushed voice say, though obviously not quiet enough.

"...he's an animal."

Jaune gripped his fork harder after hearing the comment aimed at him. Pyrrha had heard the careless remark as well, taking on a sad frown and sighing as she laid down her utensils.

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of 'em."

The blond seemed to have lost his appetite, bitterly picking at his food as he glared at his plate. As much as he wanted to lash out, he held himself back from doing anything. Pyrrha looked at him in concern and Ruby seemed to have noticed his frustration as well.

If there was anything he had learned from his time in the Wilds, it was how to be observant. Jaune wasn't the greatest at reading the moods of his teammates, but even he could see that his teammates were bothered by the spotlight cast on them. He knew he did nothing but create messes for them and didn't want his actions to put more pressure on them.

"But they were no match, and in the end Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

Ren sighed at Nora's story.

"She had this dream thrice in two days," he told them, "I'm not sure how that's possible."

"Jaune," Pyrrha spoke up, "Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, not looking at her, "Just not so hungry any more."

"It's not okay Jaune," his fellow team leader said with a sad look, "If something is bothering you, you have to tell us. We want to be able to help."

Nearby, the team heard a familiar laugh. They looked over and saw the leader of CRDL, Cardin Winchester laughing at another student as his team surrounded her and made mocking motions. Jaune felt his ire rise up a bit at seeing them. Since the match from his first day at Beacon, the hostility between the two teams had been prevalent. The other students had assumed that the blond was kept on a tight leash since the incident, and there was some mocking stares and minor pranks aimed at him.

Jaune had done his best to refrain from retaliating, which only seemed to reinforce their behaviour. Instead of reciprocating on his behalf, his teammates had decided to uphold his choice to keep things peaceful and protected him as best they could.

"Look at her, what a freak!"

"See, I told you they were real," Cardin said to his teammate as he pulled on one of the long rabbit ears protruding from the girl's head. The girl squealed in pain as she told him to stop.

Pyrrha grit her teeth as she looked away from the scene. Blake had finally placed her book down to glare at the boy, looking like she wanted nothing more than to attack him.

"Atrocious," she said as the girl ran away from the group, "I can't stand people like him."

Jaune looked at the rabbit-eared girl for a moment, curious about her.

"What are those anyway?" he asked, "I mean, can't she just take them off?"

The team looked at him in surprise and the boy got the feeling that he had just asked something he should have known. Obviously another piece of information that Qrow had neglected to tell him about, but then their training was almost purely combat-oriented than anything.

"They're… not fake ears," Blake told him carefully, "She's a faunus."'

"A what?"

"Haven't you seen a faunus before, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, "It's an entire race of people that have certain traits, like rabbit ears or tails and the like."

"So, they're basically half-animals?" Jaune asked.

"THAT'S NOT-"

The group's head whipped over at Blake who had abruptly stopped herself from shouting any further at the blond's comment. The girl had closed her eyes and seemed to be whispering something unintelligible to herself.

"You shouldn't say that," the bow-wearing girl told, having apparently calmed down, "I understand you didn't know, but it's an incredibly racist thing to say about them."

"Sorry," Jaune apologized, "I've seen some here and there but I don't really know much about them."

The group fell quiet as they considered what they just learned about the blond. The Wilds were a rough place to live but many people resided outside them, faunus included. The odds of the blond not running into or ever speaking with a faunus had to be astronomical.

Ruby opened her mouth to ask him about it but thought better of it. What if Jaune was an orphan? Or if the person that raised him hadn't allowed him near faunus? For all she knew, the town he had grown up in was one of those completely human towns where faunus were unfortunately prohibited. She didn't want to bring up any unpleasant memories for him.

"It's okay," Blake told him quietly, looking down at her book as she avoided his gaze. The girl seemed to be contemplating something, a sad frown on her face.

"I- if you like," she said suddenly, getting his attention, "I could… teach you a bit. About faunus, I mean."

The blond looked slightly taken aback at her offer. He hadn't really bothered doing any of the work for his non-combat classes, having given up on trying to read or write at a level where he would be able to keep up. The blond hadn't bothered to ask for help with his illiteracy, partly due to his lack of interest in those classes but also due to feeling embarrassed at his deficiencies in that regard.

Thankfully, his team had only picked up on the former reason on his unwillingness to do homework rather than the latter. Despite some nudges from Pyrrha for him to study or do his assignments, nobody had really bothered to try to actually help him.

"I, uh, sure," Jaune said, feeling slightly uplifted at Blake's offer, "If you really want to."

Truthfully, the blond didn't overall care about what she was going to teach him, but he didn't mind spending more time with a friend.

"We should get going to class before we're late," Pyrrha spoke up. Jaune noticed a strange look on her face; she seemed a bit downcast. But it was only there for a moment before her expression went back to normal, and he saw her gave Blake an appreciative smile.

Blake also noticed this but if she had anything to say, she kept it to herself.

"Right," Ruby said, "No dilly-dallying! Let's go!"

* * *

 **Notes:** So we see here that things aren't going so smoothly for the group, specifically Jaune. His actions against Russel definitely had negative repercussions in regards to his standing with the student body; they think he's violent and they're not exactly wrong.

This particular chapter shows off more of Jaune's lack of knowledge. He's accidentally racist and offended Blake (who nobody knows is a faunus). Still, it seems Blake is trying to be understanding, which Pyrrha appreciates.

Anyways, there are two more scenes left in 1-6. The next two will move a lot of plot forward quite a bit and we're going to start getting into the story for real.

Cheers and leave a review! I look forward to reading your comments.

knuckz


	23. Blood 1-6 - scene ii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.6**

 **ii**

* * *

Pyrrha noticed out of the corner of her eye as Jaune watched Ren discussing different methods of aura application with the Schnee heiress, looking mildly interested in the conversation. It had been a couple of weeks since their first day at Beacon and he hadn't been called up for a spar since then, though everyone else in the team had gone up in his place.

She had been there when Glynda had pulled him aside in the first week and explained the reasoning why. Despite his thoughts on the matter, his knockout on Russel Thrush was considered excessive and in order to keep things calm between all the students, she asked him to sit out for some time.

He had looked like he wanted to refuse at first; after all, the only class he ever really paid attention to was that combat class. However, even he must have noticed how tired Glynda looked and relented.

"Not again!"

She didn't need to look to know that Yang had presumably lost another game to Blake. They were playing a complicated game of cards with Ruby and Nora. The younger of the sisters had at first tried to get Jaune to join their game but her explanation of the rules got more and more confusing to the boy until he eventually just told her to play with someone else.

"I swear, I'll get you next time," Yang said to the dark-haired beauty. Blake smirked at the blonde, irritating her as she high-fived Nora, her partner for the game.

Pyrrha was currently finishing off some classwork due at the end of the week that she had left over from yesterday. While she was normally the type to finish her work promptly, some of the activities the eight of them had gotten into had pulled her away. Of course, the girl was by no way late with her homework. Apart from Weiss, nobody else had actually finished their homework and it was quite likely both Pyrrha and Weiss would have to help some of their teammates play catch up a bit later.

Between the eight students, Jaune was the only exception to this. He never really bothered studying or doing any readings or assignments, and the only class he really paid attention to, combat class, wasn't one where there was a lot of coursework for. His grades had suffered for it.

As Pyrrha closed her finished workbook, she leaned back with a relieved sigh. Glad that she was now free for the rest of the week, the redhead looked over at him.

"Uh, Jaune…" she called to him, grabbing his attention. The girl paused, looking slightly hesitant as to whether she wanted to ask him about whatever was on her mind.

"What's up?" Jaune asked curiously. The Mistralian champion looked around the room for a moment. Whatever it was she wanted to talk to him about, she obviously didn't want to do it with everyone in the room.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Pyrrha asked him, "Just to stretch our legs."

"Sure," Jaune said, not having anything to do either way. The activity in the room faltered for a moment as the others looked at them.

"Great," she said, "I'll just go put away my work in our room and I'll meet you outside in the hall, okay?"

Jaune nodded and left the room to wait for the girl in the hall, missing the surreptitious look that passed between his teammates. After he stepped into the hallway, Yang was the first to speak up.

"You're going to ask him?"

"Now is a better time than any," Pyrrha said, "There's no point in waiting."

"Good luck, Pyrrha," Blake said to the girl, "I really hope it goes well."

"Thank you, Blake" she replied, "I hope so too."

When Pyrrha stepped outside the room, she saw Jaune leaning with his back against a wall. He pushed off it when he saw her.

"So, let's get going. Did you have somewhere in mind?" he asked. Pyrrha nodded.

"Actually, I did," she replied, "There's a place here that I want to show you."

As the pair walked side by side in the mostly empty halls, the redhead attempted to make light conversation with the blond, though it didn't really go beyond the mundane. When the two of them neared the location Pyrrha had in mind, she stopped.

"We're here," she told him, "I found this place a few nights ago and I've been coming here to get my mind off things and relax."

"Okay…" Jaune said, obviously having no idea where she was going with this. The girl smiled at his puzzled expression.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," she said with a small grin, "It's a nice view and as my partner, I thought perhaps we could have something like this we could share together."

She noticed as Jaune perked up at this, following closely her as she opened the door and stepped out onto the roof. The sky was darkening but the view was as magnificent and breathtaking as the first time she had seen it. She could see so far into the distance and the quiet carried a sense of peacefulness for her.

Looking at his expression, Pyrrha could tell that Jaune probably didn't share her views or feelings on how great or relaxing this rooftop was. It was another thing that both made her heart ache when she thought of the boy. More often than not, the blond would fake an interest if it meant he could spend time with this friends.

Putting together the bits and pieces she had gleamed about the blond over the short time she got to know him, the girl had concluded that Jaune was easily even more starved for friendship than she had been. She hadn't before given too much thought as to what he might have experienced in the Wilds apart from that it was likely not a life of leisure. The blond had repeatedly shown a lack of knowledge in regards to several common things, like his 'greeting' when they had first met or when he had seen ice cream for the first time.

But what she truly noticed was that despite seeing so many things for the first time, Jaune only held a passing fascination for them. He didn't appear to have any real interests or goals for himself; he was a blank slate for the most part. Apart from combat, the only times he really showed enthusiasm was based on the interests of his friends. It was as if he didn't truly live for himself, he only lived through others.

It was what endeared him most to her, but it was also what broke her heart about him. Jaune needed to know his own value, and while it wouldn't be easy, Pyrrha would try her best to help him find it.

"Jaune," Pyrrha started, taking a deep breath, "Truthfully, I brought you up here because I wanted to talk to you privately."

"The others and I noticed something that… really worries us," she said, "We didn't want you to feel as if though we were ganging up on you. Just know that this is because all of us are concerned for you and care about you."

"What is it?" he asked, "Did I do something?"

"Look, as my partner and our team leader, we noticed that you've been neglecting your studies," Pyrrha said, deciding to just tell him, "You don't really pay attention in class and you haven't done any of the readings or homework."

"That's-"

"Please, Jaune," she said, interrupting him, "I… I think I understand that you're not really interested in our classes, but we can't help but worry. If you continue down this path, how will you even move on to the next year with us? None of us want to leave you behind."

Jaune paused as if considering her words and Pyrrha prayed that he would understand their point of view. The group had held a meeting while asking for Nora to distract the boy. He had received yet another zero on an assignment and they agreed that they had to intervene before he failed out.

"I think I know why," she said, making the boy look at her in surprise, "Unlike most of us, you never really went to a preparatory school like Sanctum or Signal. Maybe it's because of this that you feel like you're really far behind."

"Just let us help," she pleaded with him, "Everyone talked about this, and we decided that we would all pitch in if you let us. We can study with you, we can even get you our old books for you to read and we'll help you catch up."

She noticed Jaune's hesitation and felt the frustration build up inside her. Couldn't he see that she just wanted to help? He faked an interest in just about anything else but when it came down to his future, he didn't seem to bother.

"That…" Jaune trailed off as if trying to find the right words, "I don't think it'll make a difference."

"Why in the world would it not?" Pyrrha asked as she steeled herself for what she was about to say next, "Jaune, if you don't do this, then you'll fail. Not putting in any effort for this is as good as abandoning us."

Jaune's face flushed as he digested Pyrrha's words. She could see him hold himself back from saying something in anger and felt terrible that she had pushed him to that point. However, as the group had discussed, they'd rather he be mad at them than fail out of Beacon.

"It's… it's kind of embarrassing," Jaune admitted, and Pyrrha felt relieved that he finally seemed ready to come clean to her.

"I promise you, Jaune," she said sincerely, "You can trust me. And everyone will have your back."

Jaune looked down at the ground and took a deep breath.

"I never really got much of an education out in the Wilds," he told her. Of course it would come back to his living in the Wilds. The redhead was reminded yet again of the tragedies that people were put through without the protection of the Kingdoms. But it was only a fleeting reminder as the girl focused on Jaune's next words.

"So I don't think giving me more books or taking notes is going to help since…"

Pyrrha's heart sank as she realized exactly what he was going to say.

"You can't read," she filled in his unspoken sentence. And if he couldn't read, he probably couldn't write either.

"Well, I can read a little bit," Jaune said defensively, "But I can't really keep up with the readings we have. Hell, I can barely even understand Oobleck speak."

Pyrrha didn't reply immediately, caught up in her own misery. How? _How_ did she not realize this? It should have been so obvious if she had just paid attention. Yet nobody seemed to have realized, not even Ms Goodwitch who actually knew the extent of Jaune's past.

It also spoke more to what life might have been like for him. If he was almost illiterate, then it also meant that he might not have _had_ anyone to teach him.

It made her feel wretched about her own woes. She had felt unhappy with her life because she was put on a pedestal and felt isolated from others, that she felt alone in a crowd. But what was that compared to just being _alone_?

Pyrrha desperately hoped that it wasn't truly the case, that her partner had someone to care for and look after him. She remembered how much she wanted to learn about him, to learn about his past and bond with him. Now she wasn't so sure she wanted to know, a treacherous feeling for the sake of preserving her own peace of mind.

Hindsight truly was twenty-twenty.

Tears brimmed in her eyes but she blinked them away. She tried to keep a steady voice as she spoke to him next. As much as she wanted to cry she held it in as best she could. Jaune hadn't broken down even once since she'd known him and she was not going to embarrass him any further.

"It doesn't change anything," she croaked out, silently cursing herself for her shaky voice, "If that's the case, then I'll read to you. Until I lose my voice if need be."

"Hey, you don't have to go so far," he said, looking surprised at her admittedly dramatic statement. Pyrrha shook her head.

"Maybe not," she admitted, "But our team isn't one to back down from a challenge, and definitely not one to let their friend down. So will you let us help you?"

Jaune let out another sigh, this time one of reluctant acceptance.

"I promise you Jaune," Pyrrha said, "I won't ever tell anyone about this. If you'd like, I can tell the rest of the team for you."

Truthfully, he might have an easier time telling them than she would considering how almost nonchalantly he had told her. But even if it hurt her more to say it, Pyrrha wanted to spare him even the slight embarrassment he would feel at admitting it again.

"Thanks," the blond told her with a weak grin, "Ugh, all this studying is going to suck, isn't it?"

Despite the distinct lack of humor she was feeling, Pyrrha humored him with a smile making him groan miserably.

"Well, maybe we should get back?" he asked, walking over to the exit and stepping into the hallway, waiting for her. Pyrrha walked up to him but stopped as she considered how she was feeling.

"I think I'll catch up to you in a little bit," she said, "Don't worry about explaining anything to the team, I'll take care of it. I'll see you later, okay?"

She watched as Jaune strolled away after saying goodbye, waiting until he was far enough before closing the door behind her.

Resting her back against the door, Pyrrha slid down to the floor and hugged her knees to herself as she stared out at the sky.

It was only once she had composed herself, that she felt like she could tell the team what had happened without losing her composure that she left. When she arrived at her quarters she noticed that Jaune was nowhere to be found, the rest of the team quietly conversing. They stopped when Pyrrha entered the room.

"Pyrrha!"

"Hello," she greeted, "Is Jaune not here?"

"He went to bed," Yang answered her, "How did it go?"

"It…" Pyrrha paused, considering her words as she pondered how to tell them, "He agreed to let us help."

"That's great!" Ruby exclaimed, "I was worried he was going to say no."

The redhead readied herself to tell the team the next bit, only to notice Blake looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"There's something else," the dark-haired girl said, "What's wrong, Pyrrha?"

"It's worse than we thought," she replied, taking a deep breath, "It's not just a lack of interest on his part. Jaune's… he's illiterate. He can't read or write beyond the basics."

Silence descended in the room as they processed Pyrrha's words. She knew that there would first be a sense of disbelief; Jaune had certainly hidden it well from them, masked by his disinterest. It had clicked almost instantly for Pyrrha, but perhaps they didn't have the same insight she had for her partner. Or maybe they willfully ignored it.

"But, someone had to teach him," Ruby said, "I mean, there are schools in the Wilds, right?"

"I don't think so, Ruby," Blake told her quietly, "As far as I know, he's been practically alone for a long time."

Pyrrha looked at Blake suspiciously. This was yet another time that the girl seemed to have information about her partner that nobody else knew. She had known Jaune was from the Wilds and while the girl was fair to everyone, Blake did seem to go out of her way to be extra kind to Jaune.

"How do you know that?" Weiss asked, asking what Pyrrha wanted to know.

"When Jaune was in the infirmary after our initiation," Blake said hesitantly, "I overheard a bit of the conversation Jaune had with his mentor. I came back early with Ren and Nora while Pyrrha was getting Yang and Ruby, remember?"

"How'd you hear that?" Nora asked curiously, "I couldn't hear anything through those doors."

"I have exceptional hearing, so I couldn't really help but listen in even if I didn't want to," Blake said, the tips of her ears reddening. Pyrrha got the impression it was something the girl didn't want to go into so she cut in.

"What did you hear?" she asked, "I wouldn't normally ask as it's Jaune's personal business, but…"

"Well, he said Jaune had been alone for a long time," she explained, "From what I understood, whoever he was with weren't the kindest of people. Jaune's mentor, Qrow, called them monsters."

Pyrrha's face fell at that. From what little she knew of Yang and Ruby's uncle, she could tell the man was well-travelled and had seen a lot given his brusque attitude. If he had called someone a monster, they must have been truly dreadful.

"Perhaps it would do us better to not dwell on this for the time being," Ren spoke finally, making everyone look at him, "Despite whatever happened to him before, he's here with us now. We decided as a group to help Jaune and I don't believe that has changed."

Pyrrha gave him an appreciative look; he was probably the most reticent person on the team but was very insightful. He was definitely right. They wanted to help Jaune and wallowing in depression regarding his past wouldn't help.

"You're right as always, Ren," Yang spoke up as she put a calming hand on the shoulder of her troubled little sister, "Well Pyrrha, what do we do? You're the boss."

"Well, I think we have some long nights ahead of us," Pyrrha explained with a smile, "We'll have to help Jaune learn to read and write, but we also can't let him fall behind in our classes any further."

As she and her friends started mapping out what they would do to help Jaune, Pyrrha could only hope that this would be the start of things turning out for the better for him.

* * *

 **Notes:** And there we have it.

A very important scene obviously. Pyrrha is finally starting to realize the depths to how out of touch Jaune is. It'll be a tough thing, that's for sure. This scene was a long time coming; it should be pretty obvious but I'm curious to see if anyone can predict the next scene.

Something else I wanted to point out is Blake's confession. If you go back and read the story, you'll see the set up for it actually. Back in 1-3 scene iv, Blake enters the room contemplatively. In 1-4 scene iii, she overheard Jaune's comments about Professor Port. This is hinting at her sensitive hearing. In 1-5 scene i, Blake mentions Jaune's from the Wilds. We know Jaune didn't tell her; he only told Pyrrha,. Yet somehow, Blake knew it. Of course, I may have been too subtle about it, or perhaps some people might have thought it was a plot-hole, but here it is revealed. Just like this one, the story is riddled with hints and teases in the writing, some obvious, some not so obvious.

Anyway, if you refer back to the scene Blake is talking about, the 'monsters' Qrow was talking about were Grimm. Blake misunderstood that to be Jaune being raised by horrible people. So the group is kind of on the right track, but also not.

Moving on, thanks for all the comments, and I'm super curious to hear what you all thought of this chapter and of the foreshadowing regarding Blake's knowledge. Leave a review!

knuckz


	24. Blood 1-6 - scene iii

**Residuum**

 **Blood 1.6**

 **iii**

* * *

The group entered a mostly crowded cafeteria for breakfast, hoping to get their typical seats. Though there were no specifically assigned spots in regards to the seating, most teams had their usual places they sat at and the eight of them were no exception.

As the team waded through the rows of benches, Jaune saw a group of people already seated there. Upon getting closer, he noticed it was none other than team CRDL. Ever since the incident between him and Russel, there had been a growing animosity between their teams. Their team leader, Cardin, was specifically vocal about it. As much as Jaune tried to ignore him for the sake of his friends, the boy and his team had gotten on his nerves.

The blond was itching to bash his face in, and each day that went by without being able to participate in combat class, the more he felt as if he was at the end of his rope. If not for the fact that there was always someone from his team with him, Jaune was sure he would attacked him.

"Ugh, what is it now?" Yang muttered, annoyance clear in her voice.

"Well, if it isn't the Dimwits," Cardin said, turning around as they drew near.

Nobody really knew who started that name for them, though everybody knew how it ended up there. Because they were a team of eight, someone had the bright idea of naming them Team Huit. It didn't take too long for another student to point out that saying it really fast sounded as if they were saying 'dimwit', and thus the name had stuck.

When they had discovered it, Weiss had taken it upon herself to complain to Glynda. However, the student population that had it in for them for some reason or another were careful not to utter it near any authorities and though everyone knew it existed, nobody could really do anything about it. It was just another source of irritation they had to bear. Truthfully, it didn't bother Jaune as much as it did some of the other members of his team, but he kept quiet about it nonetheless.

"What do you want, Cardin?" Ruby asked, giving the older boy an ineffectual glare. Cardin just shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not the one that approached you," he said, "We were here first."

"You're sitting in our spots," Nora said, almost growling at him.

"That's funny, I don't see your names written anywhere," he rebutted.

"Well then look closer," Nora shot back at him, pointing to something near his spot. As everyone craned their necks to see it, Jaune noticed her name was roughly scratched into the edge of the table.

"Damn it, Nora," Ren muttered, slapping a hand to his face at her casual vandalism.

"Actually, we wanted to offer Jaune an olive branch," Cardin said, ignoring Nora's disregard for school property, "Just to show you we care."

Jaune had noticed the large paper on their table, though he couldn't see what was on it as it was face down. Blake snorted at Cardin's statement; apart from himself, she seemed to despise the carrot-haired boy the most.

"Is that right?" she asked dryly, "You just had a sudden change of heart from being an asshole?"

Jaune noticed more than a few heads turn their way towards them. The dark-haired girl hadn't really been quiet when she said that, causing some attention to fall onto them. He couldn't help but think it was slightly out of character of the normally quiet girl.

"Hey, look, we heard about it as well, Jauney boy," Cardin said, "And we wanna help out."

Jaune frowned at what Cardin was suggesting.

"Heard about what?" he asked uncertainly. The only thing he could possibly think of was the conversation he had with Pyrrha last night. She promised she wouldn't tell anyone outside their team and he trusted her with that.

Cardin didn't say anything immediately, smirking as he reached for the board that innocuously sat on the nearby table. Russel grabbed the other end of it, the two of them holding it up for everyone to see.

Jaune saw his own face staring back at him, obviously a photo of him team CRDL had procured one way or another. Beside it were words he didn't quite know but judging by the rising anger on his own team, he knew it was nothing short of an insult.

"What's wrong, don't know what it says?" Cardin asked, raising his voice so as many people in the hall could hear them as was possible, "Oh right, I forgot. You're illiterate, of course you don't know. Here, I'll help out. Repeat after me."

Whispers broke out as the other students in the hall began discussing Cardin's statement. Jaune clenched his fist as anger started bubbling in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to rip that smug look off his face, but he remembered Glynda's tired face from the last time he lashed out.

"'Retard'. Come on, repeat after me," the boy said, causing a few gasps around them. Jaune glared viciously at the boy.

"Shut up, Cardin," Yang said dangerously, moving forward menacingly. Ruby held her back from attacking the boy however, not wanting to let the situation devolve any further.

"Jaune, let's go, okay?" Pyrrha said to him, a hard tone in her voice. Her hand clasped his arm, ready to pull him away but Cardin continued his spiel, making the blond pause.

"Oh, aren't you going to ask how I know?" Cardin asked. Jaune considered his words. He had only told Pyrrha last night and had gone straight to bed after. The only way the boy could have found out was if someone from his team had told him between that time.

"What do you mean, Cardin?" Ruby asked fiercely. The boy just shrugged.

"I just thought he might like to know how much of a laugh we all had," he said, "I mean, nobody would want to be saddled with a partner like that, right Pyrrha?"

Jaune's head snapped to Pyrrha, his eyes wide. There was a tight feeling in chest as if someone was squeezing his heart and a freezing sensation in the pit of his stomach. The blond felt a tremor go through his hand. He didn't want to believe it but she _had_ stayed behind.

Pyrrha's body shook and Jaune noticed the furious look on her face directed at the larger teen.

"You are truly vile! A lying, foul _cretin!_ " The redhead glared at the team leader for a moment, looking as if she wanted to do nothing more than slap him across the face. She turned towards Jaune however, an almost desperate look on her face.

"I didn't, Jaune," she said, a pleading tone in her voice, "I swear, I didn't tell him."

"Ha, she didn't deny that you can't read," Cardin said immediately, "So, how did you cheat your way into Beacon without being able to even read? Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. You're finished."

Jaune ignored him as he watched as Pyrrha's hand covered her mouth at what she had unwittingly admitted. Tears sprung to her eyes as she gave him a pained look. It was too much.

He felt the blood pounding in his ears and his rage boiled over. Jaune had done what Glynda had asked and held himself back for so long, but Cardin hadn't let it go. He just didn't stop and now Pyrrha was crying because of him. _Pyrrha was crying!_

"Nora!"

A couple of members of his team latched onto the pint-sized girl as she tried to break free and attack the enemy team leader.

"Let me punch him!" she shouted as Ruby and Ren held her back, "Just one!"

"Man, you're all animals!" Cardin laughed, leaning back stretching out his arm across the table.

"What's going on here!?" He heard Glynda's familiar voice call out from a distance.

"Don't," Weiss said authoritatively to Yang who was clearly struggling not to attack the boy herself. Even Blake seemed to be wrestling with herself not to attack him.

Jaune ignored all of this however. The sight of Pyrrha's tear-stricken face was burned into his mind and his fury grew too much to contain.

The first thing to do in a fight against a bigger enemy was to get the element of surprise. Instead of a straight-up battle, attack it unawares in an ambush. Nora had created a commotion, and he felt everyone's stares slide right off him. Even Pyrrha, who had been looking at him as if begging for his forgiveness, seemed to lose sight of him.

Next, he would make sure his first attack crippled the enemy. A stationary enemy was easier to track and easier to hit. Reaching over, Jaune swiped a knife off of a nearby table. Seeing Cardin's hand resting near him, the blond swung downwards ruthlessly.

The boy was obviously not suspecting it, and his aura remained unactivated. With the force of Jaune's swing, the knife _tore_ through the flesh and muscle of his hand with a loud squelching sound, pinning the enemy to the table. The boy shouted at the sudden pain, struggling to move as he stared wide-eyed at the knife in his hand.

He heard the shrieks and shouts in the hall at the sudden violence, but it made no difference. The enemy couldn't escape now. Unsuspecting and pinned down, all that was left was to eliminate his opponent decisively.

"Jaune, no!"

He leapt for the beast, aiming his hand at it's throat and hopefully claw it out while it was still preoccupied with the injury he had inflicted. But he felt something take hold of him, something invisible that dragged him back. He fought against it as best as he could but Jaune found he couldn't move. All he could do was glare hatefully.

Glynda stepped in front of him, blocking his view. He heard the whimpers of pain, heard the teacher telling the enemy team to get to the infirmary. The hall had fallen silent for the most part, many of its occupants having scattered. His team was still there, shocked at what had occurred.

As they disappeared, Jaune felt some of his anger towards them ebb away, but his frustration built up. He watched as the teacher cleared the cafeteria of all the students sans his team, feeling irritated at her interference.

"What good did it do to attack him, Jaune?" she asked quietly once the hall was empty, "What would it have done?"

"He'd be dead if you didn't stop me," Jaune said, glaring at the table where Cardin had been, "He wouldn't ever bother us again, he couldn't hurt Pyrrha again."

"No, Jaune," Pyrrha said, collapsing onto a bench, "Oh Jaune, you…"

The blond saw the faces of Glynda and his team; it wasn't the shock or anger he had seen when they were in Glynda's office. They all just looked at him sorrowfully, eyebrows bunched up and small frowns on their faces.

He felt that tightness in his chest again and for the first time since he had arrived at Beacon, Jaune felt as if it was a mistake to leave the Wilds.

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** So.

First, I'm going to preface any comment by saying that Cardin is acting on limited information. He's seen Jaune be vicious and violent, but both times were in sanctioned combat. He has no way of knowing Jaune would go to this extreme, especially not in a crowded cafeteria. Next, Jaune may be vicious but he's not actually that strong. He only really won against Russel because Russel underestimated his speed without his weapon. The reason Cardin didn't just activate his aura was because he was at most expecting to get punched, which he could use to get Jaune (and RWBYJNPR) into more trouble.

Second, while this might seem like a big deal, don't overestimate it. Beacon trains Huntsman, people that put their lives on the line to fight the Grimm. This is hardly the first time the school might have had to deal with violent students. The problem here is less about what Jaune did and more about how they're going to help him. We see Jaune's thought process a little bit. He actually eliminated the human factor from his supposed enemy (you'll see him refer to Cardin as 'it' or as a 'beast'). That's _super_ alarming behavior! There will have to be some exposition. We're finally out of the beginning stages!

Now, I'm going to address the status of future updates. The stuff that I've been posting so far was content that had already been written some time ago. Like I mentioned in the first chapter, I had 18 scenes already written at that point. The reason I'd been posting scene by scene was because it was easier for me to do so and because it also generated interest in the story. Residuum is one of the more popular and well-reviewed RWBY fanfics now! Going forward however, due to personal matters I can't keep updates up at the same rate.

So from here on out, updates will consist of all scenes in the chapters. For example, 1-1 had four separate scenes (i, ii, iii, iv), meaning there were four updates for you to read of approximately 1500 words average. Instead of doing that, I'm going to combine the scenes in a single updates so you'll have longer chapters to read. Thus, while future updates will be sporadic, the length should make up for the wait-time, hopefully.

Lastly, it's FF Friday on the RWBY subreddit tomorrow! Check it out for a bunch of awesome stories to read, and if you happen to post there, give me a rec! ;)

Cheers and leave a review! This was such a momentous chapter, I hope I get a bunch of comments to read!

knuckz


	25. Blood 2-1

**Residuum**

 **Blood 2.1**

 **i**

* * *

"It's only been a few weeks since I last saw you in here, Mr Branwen," Ozpin said, crossing his fingers as he propped his elbows on his desk. Professor Goodwitch had led the entirety of the team to the Headmaster's office, causing a lot of trepidation for them. Blake wasn't sure what exactly they were going to do, but she had to assume it wouldn't be a good thing.

Despite what Team CRDL had done, even Blake felt Jaune had gone over the top, especially in a school environment. The fact that he reacted the way he had made her concerned. She had seen it before and it just reminded her of the many tragedies she had seen in her own time in the Wilds.

Humans and Faunus alike that led violent lives, even more so than she had experienced, tended to react violently when pushed far enough. In retrospect, Blake should have seen this coming. They had all noticed as Jaune had held himself back for several weeks now since the incident with Russel Thrush in their first combat class. They had all assumed he had just been weathering it and acted accordingly.

It was too late now, but Blake realized that he hadn't really just been enduring it, he had been bottling in his anger and after Cardin pushed him too far, all of Jaune's fury had come pouring out. But he had apparently been willing to kill his aggressor and it only made her lament that she hadn't caught on sooner. Modesty aside, Blake prided herself as being a very observant person and couldn't help but chide herself from not stopping Jaune. Perhaps it was her own anger, maybe it was all the commotion, but she had lost sight of the blond for just a moment, and that was all it took for him to make such a damning mistake.

"I have a general understanding of the situation," Ozpin continued, probably not expecting a response to his previous statement. Blake considered his words; this was the second time the man knew of the situation without having witnessed it first-hand, and she couldn't help but wonder how he did it.

"This puts us in quite a situation, Jaune," Ozpin said, his eyes steeling, "The injury you inflicted on Mr Winchester is very serious."

Jaune didn't reply to the man, just staring at his desk resolutely. Blake noticed him clench his fist in anger, something she wasn't sure anyone else on their team picked up on and could only think that the blond was not the slightest bit remorseful for putting a knife in his classmate. Still, he did seem wary of what Ozpin might do and she felt as if she'd react similarly if she were in his shoes.

"What made you attack him like that?" the man asked. Jaune did not reply, dead set on staying silent. Blake knew as well as he did that with so many witnesses, anything he might say would just damn himself. Perhaps it might have been better for him to say something, but he likely did not have the eloquence to spin the tale in his favor, especially not when he basically admitted to wanting Cardin dead.

"He was provoked," Blake said, surprising everyone including herself, "They were attacking him non-stop as if it were a show for the rest of the student body; anyone would have lost their temper."

"Professor Ozpin," Weiss spoke up now that Blake had broken the silence, "Team Cardinal had been prepared to disparage Jaune like this ahead of time; they even had some sort of sick presentation ready for it. They obviously planned this out to mock and insult him publicly and draw out an attack. While I can't say I condone fighting, they certainly are not without blame."

Ozpin raised a hand to silence the coming protests from the rest of her teammates, realizing that all of them were about to come to Jaune's defense. Blake was surprised that they were basically defending someone that tried to kill another human being; it may not have been the case if he was a bloodthirsty person.

"Please look at me, Jaune," Ozpin said. The two of them met eyes and while Blake couldn't see Jaune's eyes at that time, the older man seemed to find something in the blond's gaze that she felt she may not have been able to. As good as she felt she was at reading people, Ozpin was much too inscrutable for her to comprehend what he was thinking.

The man sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair.

"Perhaps we moved too quickly," he said, making Glynda give him a slightly startled look. Blake had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about; neither did anyone else in the room, it seemed, apart from Professor Goodwitch. It was only just there, but the dark-haired girl could tell the woman hadn't expected the headmaster to say that.

"Jaune," the man said, addressing the teen seriously, "For the time being, I believe it may be for the best that we remove you from Beacon."

More so than last time, this raised a commotion from the team. Even Blake felt as if someone shoved a sliver of ice into her chest at Ozpin's declaration.

"No!"

"Professor, you can't."

"Please, headmaster, it's-"

Jaune steadfastly remained silent, but Blake saw the smallest of shaking in his body. At this point, she wasn't sure she understood why he was still remaining silent. She saw how much effort he gave towards his friends, and she definitely would have protested it.

"It doesn't change anything between us," Ozpin explained, speaking over the complaints from the team, "I believe I can find you a residence in Vale, close to the school. We would set you up with a generous fund and I believe Professor Goodwitch wouldn't mind dropping by every now and then to check up on you."

Blake could see the tension ebb away from the boy. Obviously Jaune found merit in the man's words. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked that.

"What about our team?" Nora asked, her voice wavering, "I mean, we were just about to…"

Jaune was the team leader for Team JNPR after all, it would be a legitimate cause for concern for them to be down a member like that. And Blake realized that Nora was talking about their promise to help Jaune learn to read and to help him with classes and assignments. The blond in question seemed to realize it as well.

"They were going to teach me to read and write," Jaune quietly explained, speaking for the first time. He apparently didn't mind telling both of them about it, though Blake understood that the two Professors obviously knew more of Jaune's situation than the team did.

Professor Goodwitch looked stricken at the revelation, and even Ozpin's expression tightened somewhat. Blake realized that they hadn't known about the blond's illiteracy either.

"Yet another oversight on our part," Ozpin said, "I apologize Jaune. As much as we wanted to fulfil our obligation to Qrow to protect you, it seems that we overlooked our obligation to you."

"Professor, surely we can find another solution," Pyrrha said. Blake was unsurprised at the pleading tone in the redhead's voice. The girl was heavily invested in Jaune's situation and almost anyone could tell that the Mistralian champion had feelings for her partner as well. However, Blake doubted even Pyrrha could decipher those feelings; she wouldn't label them completely romantic.

"Expulsion does seem a little harsh," Blake said, backing up the redhead, "I'm sure there can be some sort of compromise punishment that we can all take part of instead."

"It would not be an expulsion," Ozpin calmly replied, "A suspension is a more suitable term. He will only be gone temporarily, until which time the commotion behind this incident has been mitigated and when he can better adjust to student life."

"It still takes him away from the team," Blake argued back, hoping she didn't sound too confrontational, "We're in very beginning stages of getting to know one another, and it's crucial for us to be together."

Ozpin smiled slightly, looking a little pleased. She wasn't entirely sure, but it looked as if he liked that she was arguing back.

"I see," he said, "You bring up a very valid point, Miss Belladonna. If your teammates have no objections, we can look for a compromise that will not jeopardize the workings of the team."

Blake saw the looks of relief on several of her teammates, with Pyrrha even giving her a grateful smile. Professor Goodwitch also seemed to perk up a bit; the girl wondered if the teacher was on their side more than they thought.

"Well, if you want to take him out of classes, I don't think that would be much of a problem," Yang said, speaking up for the first time as she gave Jaune a sly grin, "But he should still stay with us in the dorms. It'll be easier for us to help him that way."

"We did promise to teach him," Ruby added on helpfully.

"I'm afraid that for the time being, Jaune needs to be away from Beacon," Ozpin replied, "I do have a solution that might meet everyone's standards however. As I've mentioned before, I can procure a residence very close to Beacon. I'll grant special permission for your team so as to allow you to visit him after your classes everyday should you choose to do so, instead of having to wait for every weekend. This should satisfy both of our concerns."

"Professor, it still takes him away," Weiss said, "Especially given the time we would have to spend travelling as well as studying for our own classes. There would be many things in Beacon we would miss out on as a team."

"Then I can perhaps relax the suspension slightly for Jaune to take part in major group assignments," Ozpin offered, "I want you to understand that taking him away from Beacon is not solely a punishment; it is to protect him as well."

Blake tried to reason out what the man might have meant by that. The team could definitely protect Jaune from any serious retaliation, though she doubted there would be any given how violently he had attacked Cardin.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Ruby asked, positing Blake's unasked question.

Ozpin didn't reply immediately, looking carefully at some of the members of their group as if he were considering something. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't just contemplating whether or not to tell them, he was also judging them.

"Jaune, would you have any objections to my sharing a few details of your past with your teammates?" Ozpin asked the blond, "Just a few points to share with them so that they may understand."

"I, uh, I don't mind, I guess," Jaune replied, looking a little hesitant.

"I believe you haven't had the chance to have breakfast," the man said, "Glynda, perhaps you can take Mr Branwen here to the staff room to eat unaccosted. If I recall correctly, Professor Peach might be available to cover your classes."

"Of course," Professor Goodwitch said, nodding, "Let's go, shall we Jaune?"

Jaune, looking relieved to have come out of this somewhat positively, moved to join the bespectacled Professor. He looked at Pyrrha before he left; Blake took that to mean he understood that she wanted to fight this battle for him, especially now that he wasn't going to be present. By relying on Pyrrha, the one he was closest to out of everyone on the team, Blake took it to mean that he was also depending on the rest of them as well.

"You are all aware that Jaune was brought here by an old friend of ours, is that correct?" Ozpin asked after the two had left. Blake wasn't sure why he wanted to confirm information that he knew everyone was aware of, but it may have been relevant to whatever it was about Jaune he was going to share with them.

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby filled in, "He told us that Jaune's his apprentice, that he's pretty much family."

It may have been that reason alone that both Ruby and Yang would have defended Jaune to the best of their ability. Blake knew how passionate the two sisters could be.

"Qrow found Jaune in the Wilds near Mistral almost four months ago, by himself and fighting Grimm," Ozpin explained, "The events that transpired between them led to Qrow taking him in and giving him basic training in order for Jaune to join Beacon at a competent level of combat."

"But… he couldn't have just been alone," Blake blurted out, unable to hold herself back after what she had just heard. Having spent time in the Wilds herself, she knew exactly how dangerous it could be for a person by themselves. If the Kingdoms could be considered almost Grimm-free, then the Wilds would be regarded as that much more infested by the creatures.

"When they met, Jaune had already been alone for a long time, living in the forests of the Wilds and fighting for his survival against the Grimm on a daily basis," Ozpin said, making several people gasp, including Blake, "He only had vague recollections of his family and only remembered his first name."

They had been _completely_ wrong. Qrow's conversation with Jaune suddenly clicked in her head. He had said Jaune had been alone with monsters; the man had been referring to _literal monsters_. She felt the gloom and devastation suddenly hit her like a truck. Her limbs and her body suddenly felt heavier as if someone was pushing down on her. Absentmindedly, Blake just barely noticed the rest of her teammates in a similar state.

She couldn't believe that they had missed this. It was so simple, right in front of their faces if they had just cared to face the facts. But now that she knew, Blake realized it was cowardice on their part. The idea was too horrible to consider that they hadn't even bothered to think about it. Jaune was such an earnest person that they didn't want him to have such a tragic history. It was a dismissive thing to do and Blake was surprised at the disgust she felt for herself.

Truthfully, she wouldn't have expected for herself to be so invested in this. They had really only met Jaune three weeks prior yet here she was getting her heart broken after learning about his past. Yet, as odd as it seemed, Jaune had somehow wormed his way into her heart. He was just a very sincere person, and his efforts had endeared him to her.

"However, there is a reason that he chose to bring Jaune here to me when he could just have easily taken him somewhere else," he said, "It is because of that reason we sought to keep Jaune here at Beacon to keep an eye on him. In the meantime, Qrow would be investigating the circumstances regarding how Jaune came to be in the Wilds, to see if he could track down Jaune's family. However, in our haste, we have obviously neglected many things about him. He has been isolated from any civilization for a long time and needs time to adjust without running into problems that will hinder his progress."

"How long?"

Ozpin paused, looking at the tearful Mistralian who was struggling to hold herself together. If Blake felt devastated by that revelation, she could only imagine what Pyrrha might have been feeling.

"How long?" Pyrrha repeated with a wavering voice, "How long was he alone for?"

"Close to eight years," Ozpin said, "I believe he was around nine years old when he was separated from his family in a Grimm attack. Based on what Qrow mentioned, the incident as well all the time alone affected his memory regarding his life before then."

Pyrrha let out a choking sound, clenching her fist much like Jaune had. She raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face but they came down in a torrent. Nora stepped forward, a sad look on her normally cheerful face, and grasped the girl's hand to comfort her.

"How?" Ruby asked, her face ashen, "Pyrrha told us his aura wasn't even activated until initiation, how would he survive by himself when he was only nine years old?"

It was the only thing about the story that didn't make sense. Most grown men and women couldn't survive against the Grimm, yet they were saying that Jaune fought and survived against them in the Wilds from when he was only nine. It sounded like a fantastical story, one she might find in a book.

"We have arrived at the crux of the matter," Ozpin said, folding his hands together once again as his expression grew serious, "How he survived when he was so young, how he's lived alone in the Wilds for so long… it was for that reason that Qrow decided to bring him to me, but unfortunately, it is something that I can't tell you."

"What? Why?" Yang asked, her voice rising. Blake saw the fury on her face, but she could tell it wasn't at Ozpin himself. Her partner was angry because that was the only way she knew how to react, but there was nobody for her to lay the blame on.

"That specific knowledge will put a target on his head," he replied, "Even I would be hard pressed to defend him from the ramifications of that, especially at Jaune's current level of combat. Until he becomes powerful enough to defend himself from the strongest this world has to offer, his secret becoming public knowledge is a death sentence in waiting."

"Who is it that would come after him?" Ren asked. Out of everyone in the team, he was the most composed. Blake wasn't sure how he could stay calm after that revelation, because even she wasn't that stoic.

"Everybody."

The room fell silent as they processed the headmaster's words. Everybody… that couldn't mean what she thought it meant. There were so many different powers and groups on Remnant, she wasn't even sure where to start. The governments of Vale, Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral were only the starting point. Each government had any number of different groups operating within them, such as the Schnee Dust Company or the White Fang. There were illegal vigilante groups fighting for the good of their nation, there were sanctioned organizations that were little more than hate groups and everything in between.

All of them, Ozpin was trying to say that _all_ these people would be after Jaune? Blake couldn't even imagine the scale of conflict that would arise if that were to occur. With so many different groups involved, there would be inevitably be combat between them as well. And Jaune would be at the center of it.

No, not just Jaune. She was involved now as well, and so were the rest of them. That sort of war could displace thousands of people, all for one boy. It had to be a bad joke on Ozpin's part. What kind of secret could one boy have, a random person living in the Wilds that could apparently plunge the world into warfare?

"Given the right precautions, that is still a ways away," Ozpin said, "Eventually, it will be revealed and there is no way to prevent that. But it can be delayed."

"But, if it's such a bad thing, shouldn't we just stop it?" Ruby asked. Just by looking at her, Blake could tell that she hadn't quite caught on what Ozpin was trying to get across to them. Weiss was paler than usual and Pyrrha seemed even more desolate, so Blake was sure they had understood. Even Yang seemed a little bemused.

"I wouldn't necessarily say it is a bad thing, Miss Rose," Ozpin replied, "It can be a very good thing, in fact. But the danger it presents for Jaune is very real. Knowing that, can you think of why we have not revealed it? A small slip of the tongue, just a tiny mistake that makes the wrong person suspicious could lead to devastating consequences. That kind of pressure is not something you need to be burdened with."

"If he's so important, wouldn't you want to keep him here so you could keep an eye on him?" Nora asked. The headmaster shook his head.

"His presence here is putting him in the spotlight," Ozpin explained, "His taking out a Deathstalker by himself, not to mention his actions against Mr Thrush and now Mr Winchester is making a name of him. It was something I hadn't foreseen, and now I realize that I can still keep track of him but also take the necessary precautions to keep him hidden until he is able to defend himself when it comes to it. As of right now, he's only had three months of training. He isn't capable of defending himself from anything other than Grimm."

Even though she was still reeling from the two bombs that Ozpin had just dropped in their laps, Blake couldn't help but find that ironic. Out of all the different elements that might possibly be participating in this apparently upcoming conflict, the Grimm were the least of their worries.

"Pyrrha…"

The girl slowly sunk to the ground, sitting on her knees as she just couldn't stay standing anymore. Blake desperately wanted to do the same thing. She could always tell that Jaune was an extraordinary person with a troubled past, but this was not something she had even remotely envisioned.

"I understand this will be difficult for you," Ozpin said, ending the discussion, "Like it or not, you are all going to be affected by this, and I am sure you are concerned for your friend. Take the day off to process this, but keep in mind the utmost secrecy that must be kept regarding what you have learned today."

They hadn't even learned the entire truth and already it was incredibly dangerous. In spite of everything she had just heard, Blake could appreciate the humor in that.

* * *

 **ii**

* * *

They arrived back at their dorm before Jaune had. Ozpin had told them that Professor Goodwitch would likely keep their teammate occupied for some time so they would get some time to process the information before they saw him again. Ren had noticed the disquiet within the group as they were walking back. Apart from some slight shuffling and coughs, nobody attempted to make any conversation whatsoever.

Pyrrha was easily the most devastated out of the seven of them, even looking visibly so. She was walking with a lethargy that was out of place for her, cheeks stained from where her tears had dripped down. When they arrived, she had wordlessly been the first to use the bathroom, likely going in to freshen up and probably wash her face.

While his roommate was still freshening up, Ren noticed that none of his other friends were making eye contact. None of them wanted to be the one to start the conversation and the boy felt he could appreciate the sentiment. It was a heavy situation already, and there was only going to be more strife upcoming if Ozpin's words were to be believed.

Still, Jaune would be back soon enough and it was best that they got anything out of the way that the blond might misunderstand if he were present.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, deciding to go for the most direct question he could think of. Dealing with Jaune's past was less of a concern for him; there was no shortage of tragedies in the world after all. Ren was more concerned on how the team was going to deal with the future.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow, "We stick by his side."

There was not going to be any other decision from either of the two sisters. Both Yang and Ruby thought of Jaune as family despite only knowing him for a short amount of time and they wouldn't consider any other side.

"It's not what we signed up for," Weiss interjected. She likely saw his questioning of the situation as an avenue to get her own hesitation across, which is what Ren was fishing for.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly in anger. Yang was not a subtle person but Weiss was not the type of person to be deterred.

"I mean that I came to Beacon to be a Huntress and help protect people from the Grimm," the Schnee replied, "Not to get embroiled in some sort of… war."

"What war?"

Everybody looked at the youngest member of their group who obviously hadn't truly realized what Ozpin was hinting at. Ren hadn't thought she wouldn't be on the same page, but upon closer inspection, even Nora didn't seem to be all that aware of it.

"Which makes my point," Weiss said, "Even as much as we know, we _still_ don't know the whole story. We have no idea what's coming and as ridiculous as it sounds, it sounds as if it will be even more dangerous than fighting against Grimm."

Ruby still looked slightly lost though he could tell that she was still defensive. The short-haired girl wasn't the type to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to something she cared about.

"Is there a war going on?" she asked, sounding slightly unsure. As she asked the question, the door to the washroom opened and Pyrrha walked out. Ren noted that she looked refreshed, a marked difference from when they were in Ozpin's office. He doubted she had already overcome hearing about her partner's past, but at the very least the girl seemed to have shelved the issue.

"There aren't any full scale wars currently, Ruby. There haven't been for a long time," Pyrrha answered, apparently having overheard Ruby's question. Ren wondered what else she might have heard.

"Then…"

The group fell silent as they considered how to explain the situation.

"Professor Ozpin basically said whatever it is that makes Jaune special will cause a lot of conflict," Blake answered straightforwardly, "Everybody will want him, whether they're currently allies or enemies. All the governing bodies and all the groups within them. At that kind of scale, war is inevitable."

"But… nobody even knows what it is," Ruby said, looking confused.

"Whatever it is, our headmaster is concerned enough about it," Ren said, speaking up again, "I think it's more important to consider where we stand than to figure out what makes Jaune so special."

"And like I said, we stand with Jaune," Yang said, causing Ruby to nod in accordance, "I'll be damned if I abandon a friend and a teammate."

"It isn't that simple," Weiss shot back, a frown on her face, "There's so much to consider before jumping in head first."

Pyrrha shook her head as she gave the silver-haired girl a hard stare.

"He's our friend, he's my partner," she said passionately, "Facing the unknown is part of being a Huntress but either way, I'm not going to abandon Jaune. He barely knows anything about living in the Kingdoms, especially considering what h-happened to him. How can I just leave him if something that dangerous is going to happen?"

Weiss shut her mouth, looking displeased at the turn the conversation had taken. Ren could sympathize with her; Pyrrha would be the hardest to one to explain their point of view to since she was probably the closest to Jaune.

"Pyrrha," he said, "You're too attached to Jaune to think this through properly."

The girl turned her glare to him, making him flinch slightly but he powered on.

"Think it through objectively," he reasoned with her, "Look, we know Weiss is affiliated with the Schnee Dust Company, and you and your family are from Mistral. What if this conflict puts you on opposite side from your family? Could you still fight then? Can any of us ask Weiss to fight against her family?"

The redhead's glare faltered at his words, and the boy felt like he was getting through to her now.

"I won't say that we just hang him out to dry, but realistically, we've only known him for a short amount of time," Weiss said, "I know it's not right and it's not fair to him, but it's also not fair to us. We shouldn't have to make a decision like this in our first year. We're here to learn to fight the Grimm, not other people."

"You're just scared," Yang said, looking at the ground. Weiss raised an elegant eyebrow, not backing down from the blonde at all.

"Then you still don't get it, because you should be scared," the girl replied. Yang clenched her fists as she looked up.

"I get it," she said tightly, "The thought terrifies me too."

The Schnee heiress looked surprised at Yang's declaration. Even Ren felt slightly surprised; Yang always seemed the type to keep that kind of information close to the chest.

"I don't want to be involved in a war," she said, "I don't want my sister, my family to be involved. I don't want my friends to be split up either. But I couldn't live with myself if I just abandoned a friend like that. Yeah, we may not have known Jaune for a long time, but you don't need to know someone for a lifetime to care about them. Even if it's only been three weeks, can you honestly say anyone in this team isn't worth fighting for?"

The room fell silent once more as the blonde's sentiment rang true through all of them. Realistically, Ren knew that Weiss was the only one that was particularly worried about the consequences of what she would be getting involved in. He and Nora were both orphans and the two sisters were already involved through their uncle.

"Still, Weiss makes a valid point," Ren spoke up, "This is not a decision anyone should make without giving it careful thought."

"I appreciate where you're coming from, Ren," Pyrrha said, "And you as well, Weiss. I abhor the thought of families being pitted against each other, but as Yang said, I couldn't live with myself if I left Jaune to fend for himself. I can't speak for everyone else, but my own family would want me to stick by him."

"Same here," Yang said, "Uncle Qrow said he's basically family, but even if it weren't the case, I would have thought we'd have each other's backs no matter what."

"You're misunderstanding Ren's point," Nora said, finally breaking her silence. Ren had been wondering what had taken the girl so long.

"Once the secret's out, whatever it is, and there's fighting going on, there won't be room for second thoughts," she said, "Once you're committed, there isn't any going back. Any of us can say we'll stick with him now, but down the line when things get dangerous, there won't be any room to reconsider. That person would be putting not just themselves in danger, but any of us as well. Including- no, especially Jaune."

Despite her overwhelmingly cheerful and bubbly nature which more often than not made Nora come across as an airhead, Ren knew the girl to be very insightful at times. Having been together for so long, she was able to read him very well and had also caught on to the point he was trying to make to the team as well.

"I just don't want anyone to have regrets," Ren said, confirming Nora's short speech coincided with his point of view, "And I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us. That would also affect Jaune."

"Okay," Ruby said, her voice taking what Ren took to be a commanding tone, "Can we at least agree to support Jaune for the time being? Especially since he's going to be living in Vale soon. He's going to need our help to adjust, right?"

"You're right, Ruby," Blake said, "Besides, Ozpin said any conflict or war isn't going to happen any time soon. We have time to think it through, so how about we just put on some brave faces and help Jaune out with what he currently needs?"

She was ever the voice of reason, and though both Yang and Weiss still looked slightly grumpy, the girl's words seemed to have the right effects to steer the conversation. Pyrrha's expression soured however, and Ren could understand why. The girl was clearly still upset that Jaune was basically being forced out of Beacon.

"Well, what do you think we can teach him about that?" Ruby said, "Oh, I know. Let's make a list! C'mon Weiss, wouldn't that be really useful?"

The girl was trying to bribe her partner with things the girl enjoyed. Judging by the look on Weiss's face, Ren could see that she was successful. Though the group gathered around to prepare for Jaune's moving out, the boy knew it was only a temporary respite from the issue.

As much as nobody wanted Jaune to leave, Ren could appreciate the fact that the blond wouldn't be around to see his team argue about whether they wanted to stick with him or not.

* * *

 **iii**

* * *

"Well, I think that's the last of it," Pyrrha said, storing away the neatly folded shirt. Hers were remarkably better than his own efforts and Jaune couldn't help but feel slightly envious.

"Doesn't take too long when you don't have a lot of stuff," Yang said, carelessly tossing his shirt into the closet. The blonde made no effort to be clean about it like the redhead and he could see that her methods were a bit closer to his.

"Maybe you should take that as an example and cut back on your own stuff," Weiss interjected, examining a book that had been left on the bedside table.

"Haha, nope!"

"So, Jaune, it seems like you're all set," Pyrrha said to him, ignoring all the byplay that had just happened. Even now, there was something slightly off about her smile.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied. Ren clapped a hand on his shoulder in support.

"On some level, I actually do envy you," the dark-haired boy said, "This is a very nice apartment they got for you."

"It's alright," Weiss commented. Though all of this was new to him, Jaune did notice that the silver-haired girl was probably used to even more luxurious accommodations.

"Weiss, you've gotta see this!" Ruby almost shouted, jetting into the room and grabbing onto the girl's arm, "Look at the size of that TV! I didn't know they made them that big! Come on!"

"Hey, hey, slow down, Ruby!" Weiss complained, but her partner dragged her out to Jaune's new living area despite her reluctance.

"Let's go check it out," Yang said, putting her hands behind her head and walking out after her sister. Ren poked Nora, who was currently snuggled tight onto the bed. The girl grumbled a bit but didn't get up. Ren just sighed and gave up, also leaving the room.

Seeing Nora fast asleep, Jaune recognized this chance to speak to Pyrrha alone, something he hadn't had a chance to do since their talk on the rooftop a few nights ago.

Something had been off about the redhead since their meeting with Ozpin. The two of them were close even before then, but now the girl seemed overly concerned with him. Jaune wasn't quite used to having someone being so attached to him. Even he had noticed the looks she sometimes gave him when she thought he wasn't looking. He didn't immediately understand them, but did eventually realize that it was sadness.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said cautiously, "Is… is something wrong?"

"Oh," Pyrrha said, looking caught off-guard, "No, not at all. Why, are you concerned about something, Jaune?"

"Uh, well, nothing apart from what's happening now," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head reflexively, "Just… you seem slightly off."

The blond never considered his past something to be sad about. He felt lonely sometimes, what with the lack of any real companions. For most of his time in the Wilds however, his mood usually fluctuated between angry and hopeful. As he grew older, the anger did die down quite a bit.

There was rarely any time for him to just stop and feel sad for himself; he was always just too busy trying to survive until the next day. Now that he was out, Jaune didn't really stop to consider that his background was a sad one. But maybe it was, given how his friends had been acting since he had left them behind with Ozpin.

"O-oh," Pyrrha said, faltering slightly as Nora shifted on the bed a little bit, "I guess… I'm just thinking of how much I'll miss you while you're going to be here and not back in our dorm. But I'll be alright, Jaune. It'll just take some getting used to."

The blond wasn't sure if that was truly the issue but decided to take her at her word.

"It's not that far," he offered, "Only fifteen minutes away from Beacon, right?"

"Of course," she replied, giving him a smile. It still wasn't the way she used to smile, but Jaune had no idea what else might be bothering the girl so he relented.

"Let's go see what's up with the TV," she said, walking past him into the living room where the rest of the team was. Jaune watched her leave for a moment before sighing and following.

The television in question was enormous, bigger even than the one in Beacon's rec room. The group watched a news report, absolutely enamoured by the technology. Jaune didn't share the same fascination as the rest of them, but sat with his friends nonetheless.

"Ugh, more crime," Ruby said, sticking out her tongue, "Let's change the channel!"

"Let's not," Weiss replied immediately, "I want to know what's going on in the city. It's concerning, especially all the guests that'll be here soon for the Vytal festival."

Glynda, who had been in the kitchen since they arrived walked over to catch the report as well. The bespectacled teacher had taken it upon herself to make sure Jaune had enough food to last him. He wasn't really able to cook much other than fish and she had assured him she was able to cook quite well.

"It is important for Huntsman to keep abreast of current events," the teacher chipped in, "Especially in regards to crime. It will inevitably attract the Grimm."

"Done with the pasta, Ms. G?" Yang asked, looking hopeful.

"You know, I made this food to last your teammate for a week until I can come back again," Glynda said, giving the girl a reproachful look, "I do hope I won't receive a call from Jaune before then to say that he's out of food. Especially not because his team has eaten him out of house and home."

Yang gave her a guilty grin, ducking her head to avoid her wrathful gaze. Glynda just sighed and pushed her glasses up.

"I've made enough for dinner for everyone tonight," she said, studiously avoiding everyone's gaze, "Don't get used to it."

"Yes!"

"I knew it!"

"You're the _best_ , Ms. G!"

As the team helped themselves, Jaune noticed Nora sleepily exit his new bedroom, yawning and stretching out. The pasta smelled delicious and he couldn't to try it; he supposed the aroma had woken up the girl as well.

"Mmm! This is great!" Ruby mumbled, her mouth full. Jaune looked down at his own untouched helping, a fork held in his hand. He eyed Yang as she stabbed into the food with her fork and copied her movements, take a bite of the meal with gusto.

Surprised and delighted at the taste, Jaune joined his team and Glynda in devouring the dinner. Ruby had successfully changed the channel on the television to a comedic series about a cookie thief and watched it along with her dinner.

He noticed even Weiss was slightly unused to watching something along with dinner, though he was sure it for different reasons than his. Nonetheless, he was enjoying himself greatly and laughed along with the group at the show, even though he didn't understand all the jokes. Just hearing them laugh made him feel like laughing as well.

Soon enough, dinner was over and it came time for the group to depart.

"The dustship won't be available much longer," Glynda said, already dressed to leave. Jaune was set with everything, including Glynda's personal scroll number in case he needed anything.

He watched as everybody was getting ready to leave as well, an odd feeling in his chest. One by one, they gave him their goodbyes, most of them looking remorseful and hesitant about leaving.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Blake assured him quietly, "We did promise to help catch you up, after all."

In the end, Pyrrha was the last person to linger, standing at the doorway as the rest of the group stood in the hall.

"If you need something, or just want to ask me something, or even just want to talk, don't hesitate to call me, okay?" she said. Jaune noticed the worry on her face plain as day this time.

"I'll be fine," he told her in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, "I've been by myself for long enough, I can handle it."

"R-right," she said, giving him a strained smile, "See you soon, Jaune."

The door closed behind her and silence descended upon him. The television was still playing but it was gibberish to him. He stared at the door for a moment before shaking his head, trying to clear his head. Switching the TV off, Jaune walked over to the large window and took a look at the city.

His friends had mentioned it being a fantastic view and looking at it again, he had to agree. It was nothing like the quiet darkness of the Wilds. Even at this time, the city was alive and vibrant.

Jaune looked back at the door his friends had left through and back at the city. His mind made up, he walked over to the entryway closet and grabbed a jacket and shoes.

If he was going to live here for the foreseeable future, he might as well see what the city had to offer.

* * *

 **iv**

* * *

While living in the forests of the Wilds, Jaune didn't often get much of a chance to see the sky in the evenings. On the rare occasions he did catch a glimpse of it, he had enjoyed the brightly lit night sky filled with stars in it. It was one of the few things he took pleasure in. The lights in night-time Vale were of a different sort but also carried a similar mesmerizing look to it.

Many of the shops that Jaune had seen during the day were now closed, but the food stalls and restaurants were still open, turning on their lights and attracting all sorts of different customers. Unlike the dead quietness of the Wilds, Vale was pleasantly noisy.

The blond spotted all sorts of people walking through the streets or seated inside the restaurants. He noticed that there was less of a younger crowd at this time, the kids he would spot during the day not present.

As he strolled through the large street, a certain shop caught his eye, advertising many different kinds of food, including what he recognized as ice cream. There was a decently long line and he saw many people exiting the store with different kinds of desserts.

"The Four... Seasons," he read slowly, making out the name of the shop. He thought back to his experience the first time he had ice cream. He smiled to himself as he remembered sharing the delicious treat with his friends. Deciding to find something new to try and share with them again, Jaune walked past the line and into the establishment.

He noticed a few people looking at him curiously as he stepped past them and walked right to the front of the line. The attendant at the front counter looked at him as well as the person who was next in line.

Looking at the menu, he spotted the dessert he saw someone walk out with and pointed to it while addressing the worker.

"I want that," he told the boy behind the counter. The store employee froze as he looked between Jaune and the person in line behind the blond.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" the man complained, stepping forward. Jaune turned around and looked at the man. He was with a woman and was slightly buff but didn't seem particularly impressive to the boy. Remembering what the girl who had first treated him to ice cream did, the blond simply stared him down with an impassive look on his face.

"Uh…"

The man simply faltered for a moment under the weight of Jaune's gaze before quietly backing away. Jaune turned back to the frozen employee and pulled out his card. Seeing his card, the boy practically jumped, frenzily calling out the order.

"One ice cream sandwich coming up," he said, taking the card from Jaune and applying the charge to it. Jaune retrieved both his card and the dessert before walking away without a single look back. Instead of leaving, he walked into the restaurant and sat down in an empty seat.

Unwrapping his treat, Jaune took a sizeable bite out of it. His eyes widened as he experienced the sweetness of the sandwich.

"It's good," he muttered to himself, relishing the taste. Not wanting to finish it immediately, the long-haired blond took to eating it slowly. As he ate, Jaune took a look around the restaurant. Most of its patrons were engaged in conversation between themselves. He noticed a few people in the line glance at him though some seemed to be purposely avoiding looking at him.

All in all, he felt relaxed. Curiously, even though it was entirely different from the Wilds, Jaune felt a bit of familiarity here as he did back before he came to Beacon. Sitting there, he felt as if he blended into his surroundings; people mostly ignored him and apart from a glance or two, he felt anonymous. It was comforting and a far cry from his experience at Beacon, where everybody seemed to whisper about him or treat him hostilely.

Jaune was drawn out of his musing when he heard a raised voice from somewhere behind him. Swiveling in his chair, the blond got a look at two different people getting into a heated argument. Interested in the proceeding, Jaune turned his chair around, sitting back and watching the two men get increasingly mad at each other as he ate.

"- do that, asshole!"

"Well, what are you going to do about it, bitch?" the other man replied, as his friends rose up around him. The first man swung his fist at him, striking him in the head and sending him toppling to the ground.

It was a poorly executed attack, full of wasted movements and not much strength. Even then, it still sent the other man to the ground and Jaune realized that these two were easily not on a level comparable to his.

As 'Asshole' fell to the ground, his friend jumped at his attacker with a shout, tackling him and sending them both crashing into a table. Shouts and shrieks erupted in the restaurant as both of their friends began getting involved in the battle.

Another of 'Asshole's' friends went after 'Bitch', trying to pick him up to hit him a few more times. Jaune calmly sat back as he took another giant bite, inwardly scoffing at their tactics. It would've been far more effective to attack the man while he was down, instead of picking him up to attack him.

He was proven right when 'Bitch' headbutted the person who pulled him to his feet. One of 'Bitch's' friends also jumped in, punching 'Asshole's' Friend A, the one who had initially tackled 'Bitch', in the back of the head, making the man flinch in pain as he grabbed his head in pain.

"No, don't flinch like that," Jaune muttered to himself, shaking his head as he finished his sandwich. It was another rookie mistake and it left Friend A wide open to receive a kick to the stomach. But either way, nobody paid attention to 'Asshole' as he rejoined the fight, aiming a kick at 'Bitch's' knee, sending the man to the ground as he grabbed his leg. 'Bitch's' remaining friend finally jumped in, completing the three on three as he landed a painful blow to 'Asshole's' gut.

"Somebody stop them!"

"Oh my God!"

"Call the police!"

Jaune looked around the restaurant, finally seeing the reactions of everyone else in the establishment. Most of them looked either afraid or horrified, some even holding their hands to their mouths. It was a stark contrast to his reaction, and the blond realized that perhaps it was more normal to try to stop the fight than it was to sit back and coolly observe it and judge the fighters.

Deciding to intervene, he stalked forward as he gazed at his first target. Based on his experience fighting with Qrow and what he had seen when he witnessed the team battles in Glynda's classes, he wouldn't have to beat all six of them to stop the fight. He just had to pick the right targets and the fight would fall apart on its own. Thus, the real targets were the original aggressors, 'Asshole' and 'Bitch'.

None of the brawlers saw him coming and Jaune used the opportunity to grab 'Asshole''s shoulder and turn him around. He was the one that had provoked the fight, so he would be the blond's primary target. 'Asshole' turned around, ready to hit whoever had done so, but Jaune was much too quick for him.

Careful not to use his aura so as not to kill the man, Jaune's fist flashed out, striking the man in the neck. 'Asshole' was unprepared for the vicious attack and choked, unable to speak and gasping for air.

"Holy shit," one of his friends said, rushing to his aid as he fell to the ground clutching his neck. Jaune ignored him, knowing that the damage was superficial at best and moved on to 'Bitch'. The man hadn't noticed Jaune intervening with 'Asshole', too caught up in his own little skirmish and was taken by surprise.

Jaune kicked away the person he was fighting and aimed a punch where he knew was 'Bitch's' liver. Qrow had given him quite a few lessons on human and faunus anatomy, wanting the blond to be able to hit an opponent in the most debilitating manners. It was much harder against opponents at his level or superior, like his fellow students at Beacon, but was beyond easy against amateurs.

'Bitch' went down as well, bile rising up his throat. Jaune stepped back as the man vomited all over the floor, unable to hold his food back. The restaurant was quiet now and Jaune looked around. The customers didn't look all that relieved; they were now looking at him with cautious expressions.

"Uhh," he said, hoping to say something calming as he reflexively rubbed the back of his head, "It's safe now."

Seeing that his words did not have the intended effect, Jaune decided to leave before his evening could get any more ruined. The watching crowd gave him a wide berth as he left the restaurant.

Jaune didn't get very far as he heard a voice call out for who could only be him.

"Hey, blondie! Hey!"

Turning around, Jaune noticed an elegantly-dressed woman jog up to him as he stopped to see what she wanted. As she got close, she looked at him from head to toe; the blond got the feeling that she was analyzing him.

"You fought really well," she said, "It was very impressive. Are you a fighter of some sort?"

"Uh, I was at Beacon until recently," Jaune answered, resorting to the answer that Glynda had told him to give if anything came up. The woman looked familiar, he was sure he had seen her earlier. She had pale hair, not quite as bright as Weiss's, and amber eyes. Her clothes seemed the type that Weiss would wear; he didn't have too much experience in such matters but they did look expensive.

"Interesting," she said, "What's your name?"

"Jaune," he replied after a moment of hesitation, still preoccupied about her identity. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to recall where he had seen her. She seemed to notice his confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"I, uh... have you been on TV recently?"

The woman smirked at his question, making him think that perhaps it was a stupid one to ask.

"You could say that," she replied, "So, an ex-Beacon student, huh? You look like you could be of some use."

"Sorry?" he asked, unsure of what she meant by that.

"Never mind," she said, before holding her hand out for him to shake, "Nice to meet you, Jaune. My name is Lisa Lavender."

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** Okay, so first of all, let me say that I hadn't planned for this to take as long as it did. When I said sporadic updates, I was thinking I'd get this kind of chapter out once every other week or so. I've been bogged down with stuff however. Currently, writing this has taken a backseat, where my primary goal right now is to find well-paying employment. On top of that, I've been having numerous health problems. All in all, there have been several things that have taken my attention off this for now.

But whatever, better late than never. Besides, like I said, the updates would be a lot longer compared to before, and this one is right around 9k words.

So, a lot of stuff happened here. The first scene finally has that exposition we've been waiting for and I tried to make it devastating to Jaune's friends without making it overly dramatic. It also hints at the direction the story is going to go in once Jaune's powers are brought into the public eye. The second scene finally shows the gravity of the situation and a small rift in the team. Both Weiss and Ren have genuine concerns that should be properly addressed instead of single-minded loyalty. The third scene was meant to showcase Pyrrha's struggles as she can't seem to handle the truth behind Jaune's tragic past, to the point that even Jaune notices it. Of course, Jaune doesn't have the expertise or delicacy to deal with it so the problem is still there.

And the last scene... I'll let you make of it what you will.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update and I hope to see a LOT of feedback! It's been a while and I've been missing getting all these reviews! Let me know your thoughts and comments!

Cheers,

knuckz

PS: Just in time for FF Friday on the RWBY subreddit!


	26. Blood 2-2

**Residuum**

 **Blood 2.2**

 **i**

* * *

He flipped forward a page, scrolling his finger over the text to find the right passage. His attempt at reading the contents was poor at best, stumbling over words that he didn't really know. Sitting at the table to his right, Weiss was waiting for him to find the answer. However, despite her patience, Jaune couldn't help but feel flustered as the words on the page bogged down and he lost track of what he was supposed to be looking for.

"Uh…"

"It's okay, Jaune," Pyrrha patiently said to him for what was probably the tenth time, sitting at his left. Easily the two smartest students in the team, they had taken it upon themselves to directly teach Jaune the most. In reality, while everyone had agreed to help him, seven people attempting to teach him at once did not turn out to be productive.

He cast a glance at the rest of his team that was carelessly lounging around his apartment, sitting on the couch or laying on the floor. Yang and Ruby were both playing a video game the blond had no idea how to play, and judging by Yang's frustration, Ruby was successfully cheating at it. Blake and Ren were sitting on the couch and watching the debacle, also contributing to ruining Yang's game. Nora was lying on her stomach on the carpet, happily kicking her feet as she read a comic book.

"Focus, Jaune," Weiss said, getting his attention. Sighing, Jaune tore his gaze away from the rest of them back to the book at hand.

Logically, he knew that he should be practicing his reading and his assignments to keep up with his team. At the end of the day however, none of it truly interested him; he knew how to fight Grimm, how to kill them. Even Qrow hadn't known some of the things he did regarding the beasts. All of this was completely useless for him.

Unfortunately, the curriculum didn't share that view and Jaune was stuck trying to remember things to pass a class he didn't care for.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Pyrrha suggested, "We have been at it for… oh my goodness, look at the time!"

At her exclamation, Jaune noticed Weiss check her scroll, her eyebrows rising as she was similarly surprised by how late it was.

"We're so late! We need to get back to Beacon, guys!" Weiss exclaimed, rising from her seat in a hurry. Her shout caused a flurry of movement in the apartment as everybody jumped into action to get ready to leave.

Jaune was torn between feeling thankful his study session was finally over and feeling sad that his friends were already leaving.

"Sorry, Jaune," Pyrrha apologized to him as she slipped on her shoes, still the last person to leave, "We'll be back around the same time tomorrow. Good night!"

After they were all gone, Jaune flopped onto the couch and kicked his head back to look up at the ceiling. It was just like last night, where he had no idea what to do. He didn't want a repeat of yesterday's experience; it was only thanks to Lisa's careful maneuvering that he managed to avoid being extensively questioned by the police.

The two policemen had been strangely nervous in her presence, and they had left really quickly after asking him a few questions. Lisa had explained afterward that it was better for him to speak with the police than to leave the scene.

He had noticed her interest in him but was unable to wane it in any fashion, having ended the night by providing the woman his number for her to contact him with. Jaune had avoided telling anyone else about it, not wanting to worry them, but Lisa had promised to call him tonight.

Wondering what time she would call, his scroll suddenly began to ring. Picking it up from the nearby table, the blond noticed it was none other than the reporter he had just been thinking of.

"Uh, hello?" he awkwardly greeted, answering the call.

"Jaune," Lisa replied, "Good evening! I hope you're feeling well."

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said simply.

"That's good. Now listen, I would like for us to meet up tonight to discuss an interesting proposition for you. I'm assuming you're alone and free?" she asked. The blond seriously considered saying no, but he felt a bit curious at what she wanted to talk to him about. There was no way Ozpin would have let his secret out, not when even his team didn't know about it.

"Sure," he said finally.

"Good, good," the woman said as if she hadn't expected anything else, "I'll forward you the coordinates. If you leave now, you can probably get there within half an hour if you walk. See you soon."

The call ended abruptly, taking him aback. His scroll pinged with a message, presumably the address that Lisa had just provided him. Glancing at it as well as the time, Jaune slipped on his shoes and left the apartment to go meet up with her.

The path to get to the location she had given him was long and winding, with several turns in many different alleys within which he did not run into a single person. Turn after turn, the blond couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of practical joke she was playing on him, in a similar vein to Qrow.

But true to her word, it had taken him right around half an hour of walking to finally arrive to the place, which was just a handleless door in a rather dark alley. The alley was devoid of anyone except for one hooded person who was leaning against a wall. Jaune was unable to sense anyone else around them either. As he walked closer, the person finally seemed to hear him coming, turning to greet him.

"Jaune," they called out, raising a hand to wave him over, "Glad you could make it."

"Lisa?" he asked carefully, unable to see under her hood. She pulled it up, allowing the boy to confirm her identity before putting it back on.

"Sorry about the cloak and dagger business," she said, "I'm afraid our business will require some… anonymity to say the least. I'm a bit too well known otherwise."

"Oh," was all he could say in reply to that, still unsure of what she might be speaking of.

"Don't worry," she said, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice, "I don't think it will be anything you won't like. I won't keep you too long either way."

Walking over to him, Lisa looped her arm into his, pulling herself close to him. Reaching out with her other hand, she knocked on the door three times. Someone on the other end slid open a small window, peering out at them. Lisa pulled out a small card and showed it to the person, which apparently had been the right thing to do as they opened the door.

"We'll take a private room," she said to the man behind the door, "Enough for two."

"Of course," the man replied, pushing a button on his scroll. The wall lit up with a dotted line, the lights leading further into the building. Lisa basically pulled him along with her, following the directions of the light to what was likely the private room she had ordered. Jaune felt a little tense at what might await him in that room. Suddenly, he felt himself wishing that he had brought Reaper along.

"Don't be so tense," Lisa said as they walked along with her still clinging to his arm, probably having felt it in his body, "Like I said, I think you'll quite like it."

As the two walking through the twisting hallways, passing by door after door, Jaune looked at the hooded reporter in thought.

"I have a question," he said suddenly.

"Shoot," she replied, not the slightest bit put off.

"Almost everyone I meet thinks I'm a girl at first," he told her, "Everyone but you. How did you know I wasn't?"

"I didn't, actually," she said, "When I first saw you, I did think you were a girl. But once you get past that gorgeous face of yours and the pretty long hair, anyone with a little bit of insight would notice that lump in your neck, which only males have, of course."

Jaune raised his hand to his neck, feeling the lump she was referring to. She was right, of course. Now that she had mentioned it, the blond hadn't seen any females with the telltale bump there, but every male did seem to have it.

"Anyway, we're here," she said, stopping finally. The light on the wall finally ended at an unmarked door. Lisa reached out with her card and swiped at the key slot, unlocking it and making the light on the walls dim. Opening it, she walked in, releasing her hold on Jaune's arm.

Peering into the room, Jaune noticed that it seemed like any standard bedroom. There was a rather large bed near a wall, as well as a sitting area with two sofa's and a table between, both facing a large television screen mounted on a wall.

Lisa had already divested herself of her cloak, haphazardly throwing it on the bed.

"Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable," she called out to him, "And do close the door behind you."

* * *

ii

* * *

"Don't be shy, Jaune," Lisa said, "Feel free to speak your mind. It's just me and you in here and it's completely private."

Jaune wasn't quite sure what exactly he was supposed to say in a situation such as this. He didn't feel shy per se, but Lisa hadn't straight up told him what she wanted from him and he did feel slightly antsy because of that. The woman was confident as ever, from her the way she talked as well as the way she looked at him. As if he wouldn't say no to her.

"Come, take a seat right here," she said, gesturing him over to one of the one-seater sofa's. Jaune walked over to the seat she waved him toward, watching as she took the other seat. He noticed that the clothes she wore were far more revealing compared to what he had seen in Vale or at Beacon. Her dress had wide open slits along the sides and the front, exposing so much of her skin. Jaune couldn't help but find it impractical; at this point, she might as well go topless and save herself the trouble.

Lisa took a seat in the adjacent couch, crossing her bare legs as she gave him what he perceived as a knowing smile, one he had often seen at Beacon, usually from one of his teammates when they saw him encounter something for the first time.

"You're confused," she stated, "but I'll show you what we're here for."

She grabbed a scroll on the nearby table and pressed the button on it, turning on the television. Jaune looked from the pretty reporter over to the screen, seeing photographs of two men prominently displayed on it.

"Aha, it's a good one," she said, looking amused, "Stone and Carmine."

"What is this?" Jaune finally asked. Lisa tutted at him, wagging a finger.

"Just watch," she said, "It's starting soon."

The screen shifted, showing both of the men live as they stood across from one another. They were in some sort of sparring arena, a bit similar to the one at Beacon but completely surrounded by cages. There was an audience around them, many of them shouting and cheering.

Jaune noticed a countdown on the screen, starting at fifteen and the noise in the arena grew as it ticked down. The look on Lisa's face shifted to an eager one, one looking forward to a fight. He'd seen similar expressions from some of his teammates when it was their turn to spar in Glynda's combat classes.

Stone was the bigger between the two, with tanned skin and a bulkier musculature that stood out even more considering his topless attire. The man wore tight, thin bracers at each of his joints, possibly making his arms seem even bigger than they would have otherwise. Carmine on the other hand, was quite the opposite. His build was slightly similar to Jaune's in the sense that he was thin but that was where the similarity ended. Where Jaune's own body was lithe and in very in shape, Carmine was just thin throughout except for his abdominal area, where he had a protruding gut, making the blond think the man probably did not get much exercise. Unlike the unarmed Stone, Carmine had a giant tankard fastened onto his back and a hose with a nozzle attached to it that he held.

As the countdown hit zero, a horn blared out and both men erupted in a flurry of movement. Stone charged forward at the smaller man, intent on beating him into a pulp with his bare hands but Carmine was quick on his feet. The balding man ducked under a swipe from the hulk, taking a short hop backward and aiming his weapon at the man. Stone seemed to realize exactly what was about to happen and rolled to the side, barely avoiding a spray of a golden liquid that Jaune didn't quite recognize.

As Stone landed on the ground on all fours, he slapped an open palm on the ground, breaking off a sizeable chunk of the floor and hurling it at his opponent with a ferocious shout. Carmine squeaked at the incoming projectile, shooting it with his drink. Jaune noticed the pressure of the spray was a lot stronger than before; the man likely had different settings for how strong the liquid would shoot out.

"Hmm…" Lisa said, running a finger across her bottom lip, "He used his semblance earlier than usual. Stone must still be upset about losing last time."

Jaune took her comment into consideration as he watched the match with rapt attention. Stone continued ripping the floor of the arena apart, relentlessly hurling boulder after boulder at Carmine. Jaune noticed the frustration building on the man's face as Carmine deflected each and every one of them with short spray of his weapon.

"What is that?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Alcohol," Lisa replied easily, "His semblance lets him convert water into the stuff. Really strong stuff as well. Get hit by it and you'll find yourself out of it really fast."

Which was probably why Stone had desperately dodged the spray in the first place. Jaune had seen Qrow while he was drunk, and while the man was still competent in a fight while inebriated, it was likely an exception rather than the norm. Qrow had gotten him drunk once and it made him sluggish and unable to think straight. The blond had sworn off the stuff since then, not understanding the appeal.

Still, it seemed to be a decent enough weapon, though decidedly non-lethal and Jaune would likely never rely on it.

It was when Stone threw another boulder that Jaune caught a problem in the fight. While the Stone was tiring himself out through his physical exertion, Carmine's sprays were getting smaller and smaller with each passing stone.

"He's going to get hit," Jaune said, watching in anticipation.

"Hmm?" Lisa looked at him questioningly, obviously not having the same observational skills as he did for combat.

True to his estimate, a few boulders later, Carmine finally ran out of water to convert and took a blow right to his shoulder, sending him staggering as one of the straps from his tankard tore, sending both the man and his giant gourd to the ground.

"Raaaagh!" Stone charged forward victoriously, intent on grabbing the smaller man. But despite the heavy blow he took, Carmine didn't seem deterred as the blond saw him grasp something attached to his belt. He knew instantly that the man still had something in store, and he watched eagerly to see what it was.

"It's already over?" Lisa commented, looking disappointed.

"Not yet," Jaune said, making her give him a weird look. But her eye's widened as just as soon as Stone got into range, Carmine hurled a ball at him, watching with glee as it exploded in the man's face and showered him in the man's special brew.

"That's new," Lisa said, looking impressed.

Stone staggered back and forth, wiping at his eyes as it stung him.

"You…" the larger man slurred, making Jaune frown. Even Qrow hadn't ever gotten drunk that fast; it must have been really strong brew, like Lisa had said.

Carmine grunted, getting off the ground and putting distance between himself and Stone, dragging his tankard along with him. Peering at the screen, Jaune noticed the man's aura was in the red; he felt quite unimpressed at the man's paltry aura reserves.

"His aura's in the red," Jaune said, "Why hasn't the fight stopped?"

"This isn't combat class, Jaune," Lisa said, smiling at him, "The fight's not over until one of them can't get back up."

Jaune looked at her for a moment. There was something in her smile that he didn't recognize, something that made him feel wary of her. Yet, at the same time, it made her seem even more attractive to him than she normally was.

Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked back at the screen just in time to catch Carmine shatter a crystal on the ground. As it shattered, a torrent of water erupted from the ground into the air. Clutching his injured shoulder with his hand, the balding man shoved his gourd where he had destroyed whatever crystal he had shattered. It was obviously inefficient, but he did catch quite a bit of water in it. Grabbing the hose with his good arm, Carmine took aim at the inebriated Stone who had been attempting to stagger his way over to the man.

Stone seemed to realize what was coming and just before he was hit with the spray that might have taken him out, he erected a crude wall of stone in front of him, blocking most of the alcohol as he crouched behind it. Jaune watched with bated breath as Stone put his back against the wall, slamming his elbow into it and bellowing in pain as it struck true. A chunk of stone fired out of the wall, catching the unsuspecting Carmine by surprise.

The man was struck in the leg, sending him toppling forward face first into his own tankard. His face struck the edge painfully, causing a groan to ripple through the arena. Jaune realized with a smile that the fight was effectively over. Carmine's aura was completely gone now, though the way the man still struggled to get to his feet won him some points with the blond.

Stone got out from his cover and lumbered to the man, still walking unsteadily. His opponent noticed too late and looked back as Stone stood above him, squeaking in fear. Stone grabbed the man by his feet and roughly dragged him away from his weapon of choice. Carmine desperately clawed at the ground, trying to crawl away from the man but it was a futile effort.

Stone grabbed the smaller man properly this time, lifting him high off the ground. Carmine kicked away but it was no use as Stone took slow and steady steps back toward the man's tankard. Jaune could see the realization of what the lumbering man was going to do bloom on the smaller man, along with a healthy dose of fear.

Looking back at Lisa, Jaune saw her face warp back into the eager expression he had seen on her earlier, but there was something slightly different this time. There was a strange flush on her face and she was biting down on her bottom lip. He also noticed her shifting about, unable to sit still as she rubbed her thighs together.

Stone lifted Carmine above his head and with a mighty roar, brought the man down onto his own tankard. Carmine screamed in pain and Jaune could tell he wouldn't be back up anytime soon. But as Carmine had howled in pain, Lisa had let out a whimper of her own, her legs shaking as she tightly clutched the hem of her dress.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked, unsure of what had just happened with her.

"Definitely," she breathed out, "Never been better, actually."

A horn blared out from the arena, signalling the end of the match. Lisa grabbed the scroll and turned off the television, looking at him as she wet her lips.

"Well, how did you like it?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

"It was fun," he replied with a slight grin, "A lot of fun actually. I didn't think people could have semblances like that. Well, they weren't the best fighters that I've seen before, but they weren't the worst either. Who are they anyway?"

"Stone was a former Huntsman," Lisa told him, "On the front lines actually, but one day he got a little bit too cocky and ended up burying some civilians alive. Discharged from duty, disgraced, the works. As for Carmine… a lot of rumors about that little fellow. He's mostly known for making some really strong brews, but some people say he gets certain people a little bit too drunk, usually women. Has his wicked way with them, but nothing's been proven."

"Don't let his appearance fool you though," she explained, "He looks mild but he's a bloodthirsty one. Enjoys hurting people. Either way, none of that matters in the ring."

Jaune paused, thinking of the fight a little bit more.

"Not that I didn't enjoy it," he said slowly, "But why did you bring me all the way here? Couldn't you have just showed me this at home?"

Lisa laughed softly, shaking her head with a smile.

"This isn't the type of show that gets aired publically. The fight happened right here in this building actually. Unfortunately, due to people knowing who I am I can't actually go to the arena, so this is the next best thing," Lisa explained, "Besides, this isn't exactly… legal."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at that, making the reporter grin.

"Most people do know it exists," she said, "But in the strictest terms of the law, this type of fighting is unsanctioned. Whoever runs it makes sure the right wheels are greased however, so people ignore it as long as it doesn't bleed into the general public."

"Okay," Jaune replied, accepting her explanation but still unsure what she ultimately wanted, "But why show me this?"

"Haven't figured it out?" she asked, leering at him, "In order to fight in the arena, you need to be sponsored by a member of the club of a certain standing. Someone like myself, for example."

As he realized what she was hinting at, Jaune felt a certain excitement build up inside him. He pictured himself in the ring, fighting against different opponents. While he certainly didn't miss being alone in the Wilds, he did sometimes miss the thrill of combat. After being barred from fighting in Glynda's combat class since his disastrous debut, all that pent-up energy had nowhere to go.

"I want you," Lisa said with a curious gleam in her eyes, "I saw the way you handled yourself in that restaurant. Cold."

She reached out and gently stroked the side of his face with her hand.

"Beautiful."

Her hand brushed a strand of his hair back, tucking it behind his ear.

" _Violent,_ " she whispered coarsely, running her hand down his cheek. Jaune had to suppress a shiver that ran down his back.

"You're everything that I've been looking for, Jaune," she said, leaning into him, "Be my possession. Tell me what you want in return. Money?"

She pressed her body to his, making his eyes widen as she put her lips near his ear.

"My body, perhaps?" she asked, before stepping away and giving him another smile, "Well, I suppose that wouldn't exactly be legal either, given your age. But if we're going to be breaking the law anyway… hmm."

"Uhh…" was all he could get out, feeling completely out of his comfort zone.

"You're a tough customer," she said, chuckling as she walked over to the bed to retrieve her cloak, "Take your time and think about it. I don't need to know for at least another week. Just don't tell anyone about this. The police might ignore it, but it's still illegal and they won't hesitate to arrest anyone advertising it."

Jaune swallowed, wanting to say yes but also thinking how Glynda or his team might react to this. Lisa laughed at his expression.

"Look, it's not the end of the world. Don't be nervous. Relax and think it through properly," she said, "Yes, I'll freely admit that I want you, but decide for yourself what _you_ want. If you're going to do it, do it for yourself."

She fastened the cloak on and put her hood up. Once again, the reporter walked over to him and linked her arm into his, dragging him along.

"Now come on, let's get out of here. I'll treat you to dinner, okay?"

* * *

iii

* * *

Seeing the look on her companion's face, she knew that dinner would be a sordid affair. Though she didn't exactly expect it to be anything else coming here.

She strode into the room with a plate in one hand and a glass in the other, carrying some of the most exquisite food she could muster. Seared elk tenderloin with parsnip mousselin and a spiced pilaf of long-grain rice. She looked at the nervous expression of the other occupant of the room; all the trouble she went to acquiring this pretentious-sounding food, and not even a shred of gratitude. She huffed in annoyance as she set down a plate in front of her… what was this person to her anyway?

Abductee, kidnappee? Hostage. It didn't quite matter who she was. Just a poor woman caught up in something beyond her.

Neo smiled at her as she grabbed the seat at the head of the table. As the woman had been instructed, both of her hands were kept on the table, her left hand wrapped up in gauze with the ring finger prominently missing.

Grabbing the knife and fork from the plate, Neo began to slice up the meat on the plate, noticing with relish how easily it came apart. She wasn't used to eating fancy food like this; it was more Roman's thing and his suggestion in the first place. He had mentioned that Roselyn was probably used to eating these kinds of meals and wasn't the type to deprive anyone of the woman's standing such comforts.

Neo just didn't know what was wrong with a pizza, but that was a fundamental difference between her and Roman she would never quite understand.

She skewered the meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth, giving it a tentative bite. Chewing and chewing, she swallowed with a sigh. Bland as always. How did anyone enjoy this? Skewering another piece, she held it up to Roselyn's mouth, patiently waiting for the woman to open her mouth.

"Is… is that…?"

Roselyn was hesitant for only a moment, but any fear in regards to what might be in the food was allayed because Neo had taken the first bite. Now that hunger had overtaken her fear of the situation, Neo watched as the woman looked at the food with a more appreciative expression. Smiling, the mute spooned some rice onto the fork and took a bite for herself.

It was much better than the meat, she decided. There was a strong flavor to it, with just a hint of spice. Too little for Neo's tastes, but then she was used to eating foods spicier than the normal person.

She gave the next spoonful of rice to the woman, watching with interest as the woman closed her eyes in enjoyment of the food. Neo couldn't help but feel slightly amazed at her. Even as a hostage, threatened on an almost daily basis, she was able to enjoy something as simple as a meal.

As Roselyn obediently ate from Neo's hand, the girl took the opportunity to observe the woman properly. She was dressed in a bathrobe with likely nothing underneath, not having been provided with any other clothes. Her long, auburn locks were cascading down her back, dry and tangled. Obviously the woman hadn't had a chance to have it combed. Whoever had attended to the woman when she was given her bath hadn't cared to do the job properly; Neo made a note to herself to mention it to Roman. He had wanted the best of care for their hostage.

Well, Neo had originally wanted to be the one to help bathe her, but Roman had refused, citing something about Roselyn's mental health. As much as she denied she would do anything, the girl had reluctantly obliged the man's request to not interrupt what might be one of the few moments the hostage had for peace.

This time. Next time, Neo would make sure she was there.

Seeing her smack her lips together, Neo reached for the glass water and brought it to Roselyn's lips, tilting it forward to allow the woman to get a few gulps before she resumed feeding her. The process continued peacefully and soon enough, the meal was done.

As the woman leaned back having had her hunger satiated, Neo reached out with a finger and touched it near the woman's lips. Roselyn cowered at the touch, no doubt remembering what the blue-eyed girl was capable of. Neo picked off an errant grain of rice, smirking as she put in in her own mouth. She watched in amusement as the woman hunched in on herself.

Grabbing a handkerchief from her pocket, Neo reached out and cleaned Roselyn's mouth, enjoying herself as the other went stock still. It happened every time.

Adults were self-sufficient, used to doing almost everything for themselves. Being attended to like Roselyn was, not allowed to bathe herself or having to be fed by another person kept her off-kilter. Probably more so from the fact that it was from the ones that abducted her.

Neo pushed away from the table and gathered up the utensils and the plate, grabbing and taking it out of the room. Once in the hallway, she shut the door behind her and walked into the room directly in front. She absentmindedly placed the plate on a side table and walked deeper into the bedroom, grabbing a hairbrush and a nail file from the dresser. Inspecting it to make sure it was clean, Neo walked back into Roselyn's room, once again closing the door behind her.

Roselyn looked at the item in Neo's hand, no doubt wondering what it was going to be used for. The girl just smiled gently, walking over to the woman and grabbing her hand. She pulled the woman away from the table and led her to the one-seater couch, situated in front of a mirror. She gestured for the woman to sit and Roselyn did so immediately. Really, the fire that had been in the woman before her finger had been cut off was completely gone. It disappointed Neo slightly.

The girl peered at her own reflection in the mirror for a moment. She was currently wearing her hair long and blond; she had based this particular disguise upon the rather feminine boy she had met in Vale some time ago. It was a fond memory, introducing another person to the pleasures of ice cream.

Once she saw that everything was okay, Neo walked around to stand behind the woman, grabbing her hair and letting it drop out over the back of the seat. Clutching the brush in her dominant hand and Roselyn's hair in the other, the silent girl went to work. With slow, long, and deliberate strokes, Neo began to straighten out the woman's tressed mane. Noticing Roselyn close her eyes in the mirror, she smiled to herself as she continued to make sense of the disorder.

They continued in silence, only interrupted by two short beeps coming from her pocket. Placing the brush down, she grabbed her scroll and answered the call from Roman. His image was also displayed on the screen hidden in the mirror, causing their hostage to look at him with fright.

"Hello, Roselyn dear," the man said, completely ignoring Neo's presence, making her huff in feigned annoyance, "I do hope you're doing well. My associate hasn't been giving you any trouble, has she?"

"Please," Roselyn begged, "Please, just let me go. _Please_."

Once again, Neo lamented the loss of the woman's enthusiastic resistances from before. She began brushing the woman's hair again, ignoring the conversation taking place.

"I absolutely will let you go, my dear," Roman replied, and Neo could almost feel the stirrings of hope well up in the older woman, "As soon as your husband-to-be gives us what we've been asking for."

"I had nothing to do with it," she said, "Please, I already told you all I know."

"Now, you know how this works, Roselyn," Roman admonished her, "As soon as we get Simulacrum, we'll let you go. Though I will admit it's quite odd he hasn't given in to save you just yet. Such a scandal from the Mayor's nephew, no wonder it's been kept under wraps."

"Please…"

Neo sighed upon hearing her repeated pleading. The poor thing should have known it wouldn't make the slightest difference, but she wouldn't stop.

"Either way, it seems like a finger isn't enough," Roman said, finally addressing Neo, "I think an audio recording might be more persuasive this time. Do avoid damaging her face though; I'd rather avoid any marring of her beauty."

The screen blinked off, and two women were once again surrounded by silence apart from the occasional sniffle from the brunette. Neo finally finished brushing her hair and set the brush down, grabbing her scroll and the nail file. She walked around to meet the woman face to face, her ever-present smile not withering in the slightest.

Setting the scroll down, Neo hit the record button and leaned in toward the woman. Roselyn's chest began heaving, the previously unshed tears finally dripping down her cheeks.

"Oh God, don't," she begged, her voice faint. Something in her voice struck a chord within Neo. The woman was helpless, could do nothing but beg and plead to what was essentially a higher being.

It excited her; it always did.

Neo pressed forward and pushed Roselyn's bathrobe apart very slightly, exposing the woman's neckline to her yet also preserving her modesty. Gently, Neo pressed a kiss upon her collarbone, feeling a shiver in the body of her hostage. She worked her way up, reaching the jaw. Upon reaching her face, Neo extended her tongue and trailed it upwards along Roselyn's tear-stained cheek, licking the salty liquid from the woman's skin.

Roselyn sobbed at the action, pressing into the back of the couch as far as she could. Yet again, the woman showed little appreciation to her gentle caress. Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered. Either way, the pint-sized girl wasn't to be deterred.

Backing away from the woman slightly, Neo kneeled in front of her and grabbed her good hand, holding her wrist tenderly. She grabbed the nail file, watching as Roselyn gasped in fright. Neo smiled up at her, pulling the hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers, holding them there for a long moment.

When she was finished, she pushed the nail file to the woman's longest finger, guiding it under the nail and scraping out the non-existent dirt from under it.

"No, no, no," Roselyn kept saying, "Please, God, no."

She kept up this ministration, waiting for the right moment.

Just then, she felt Roselyn relax ever so slightly. Her grip on the older woman's wrist tightening into a firm hold, Neo _jammed_ the metal file into her nail, prying the entire nail loose and letting the blood leak out.

"AAAHH!"

Roselyn shrieked out in pain and fright, music to her ears, and struggled against Neo's grip. But for all of her struggle, she wasn't able to pry her hand free. Neo worked the nail file deeper and deeper into the woman's finger, wiggling it for good measure.

" _Please!_ " she pleaded, "Stop! Stop!"

Realizing that it was enough, the girl acquiesced with the victim's desperate appeal and removed the bloodied instrument from the woman's finger. Neo stopped the recording from the scroll, saving it and sending it to Roman quickly before she moved on to the cabinet. Retrieving a first aid kit, she brought it over to the woman. Roselyn was openly sobbing, this time also from the pain.

Once she was finished treating and bandaging the wound, Neo grabbed the crying woman's arm and pulled her onto the floor, standing in front of her. She leant down and pulled Roselyn into a hug, letting the woman wail into her chest. It was only a few moments later that she felt the older woman's arms come up and reciprocate her hug, clutching at the shorter girl desperately. Neo bent down and pressed yet another gentle kiss to the top of Roselyn's hair.

A victim that had no choice but to turn to the one torturing her for comfort. Neo couldn't help but smile yet again.

What fun.

* * *

iv

* * *

He silently watched her as she scrawled away, sitting on the stool near the kitchen counter. If the bespectacled woman had noticed his gaze, she made no notice of it. He saw her absentmindedly adjust her glasses, flipping the page as she marked off more items on the paper.

Jaune wasn't quite sure if he did as well as she would have liked; he knew she was a strict teacher and held her students to high standards that he was sure he didn't meet. When he took the test, he had second-guessed himself a lot and was sure he had to have gotten quite a few questions wrong.

She let out a short sigh, finally finishing perusing the paper and setting her marker aside as she looked at him. The blond had to refrain from biting his lips, getting the feeling that she was a bit disappointed.

"I'm afraid that you only got about thirty percent," Glynda told him quietly, causing him to deflate. That was a lot more wrong than just a few.

Jaune fell onto the one-seater in frustration, laying down as he put his head on the armrest and swung his legs over the other end. Bringing his hand to his face, he rubbed his forehead lightly as he let out a forlorn sigh.

"It's okay, Jaune," Pyrrha told him with a reassuring tone in her voice, "We know you did your best and I'm sure you'll do better next time."

"Yeah, no worries," Yang said flippantly, "Actually, I'm pretty sure there are people in our class that have gotten even worse scores on our assignments."

Her comment incited a giggle of laughter from Ruby and Nora, as well as a disapproving look from Glynda, though he did notice her hide a smile. Jaune didn't find it as amusing.

"Sure," he said, "But that's Beacon-level material, right? This is supposed to be the basics, for little kids."

Yang's grin faded and Jaune sighed again. He hadn't meant to ruin the mood, especially not over something he barely cared about. Of anything they could have been teaching him, he just didn't get the point of studying history.

"Your circumstances are special," Glynda intervened, "Of course, there isn't anything wrong with that. Nobody expects you to get everything at once. Just keep putting in the effort and take things at your own pace, Jaune."

"Well said, Ms Goodwitch," Weiss spoke up. Out of all his teammates, Jaune was sure she had to be the most frustrated with him. She had put the most effort in teaching him, even more than Pyrrha did. And time after time, her efforts had been proven to be fruitless.

"Well, I still think it's a waste of time studying history of all things," the blond complained, "It's completely useless. What's the point of knowing the Mayor's name is Porre?"

"His name is Mayor Bore, Jaune," Nora said, giggling.

"It's Mayor _Flore_ ," Weiss corrected, rolling her eyes, "And it's extremely useful. We can learn a lot from the mistakes of our forefathers. Not to mention that a lot of the stuff we told you is currently relevant and common knowledge."

"Well, he kinda has a point," Yang interjected, "I mean, when is he ever going to meet that old codger? Maybe we should put more focus on the more practical lessons."

"Like how to shop for clothes?" Blake said slyly. Yang grinned at her.

"A girl after my own heart! You get me, partner."

"Not helping," Weiss said, glowering at the long-haired blonde.

"Perhaps not about the shopping, but Yang does make a good point," Ren said, acknowledging his dorm-mate with a nod, "It would definitely be more helpful to have extra lessons on more practical aspects of everyday living, like cooking or cleaning."

The boy cast a sidelong glance at the youngest person in the room, who had been preoccupied with a drawing she was making, lying with her stomach to the floor and kicking her feet in the air.

"Besides, I believe there may be others that could benefit from it," he said, the smallest of smiles on his face. Ruby looked up at his comment, somehow knowing it was directed at her. Jaune couldn't help the smile that came to his face when he remembered the disaster she had caused in the kitchen a few days ago.

"I heard that, Ren," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"If we can get back to the matter at hand," the Schnee heiress said, "Remember that we're trying to help Jaune pass our classes so he doesn't get left behind. Adding on more lessons will just cut into that time, and we barely get anything done anyway."

"She does have a point," Pyrrha said apologetically, "As much as I do agree, we can always help Jaune out with the day to day things like cooking but-"

"If I recall correctly," Yang cut her off with mischievous look, "You aren't so hot in the kitchen yourself."

Jaune noticed Pyrrha's face redden in embarrassment.

"Surely I was better than Ruby," the redhead blurted out defensively.

"Hey!"

"That's not saying much, Pyr," Nora said, "That shouldn't even be a standard."

"Aw, come on." Ruby pouted, making Yang laugh.

"You set a pot of boiling water on fire, Ruby," Blake said, raising a delicate eyebrow, "I'm not even sure how that's possible."

"That was totally not my fault," the caped girl said, "Weiss's Dust crystal was defective!"

Weiss perked up at what her team leader just admitted, a heavy frown setting itself on her face. Jaune knew the coming signs, something he had often seen in the dorm.

"You used one of my Dust crystals?" she asked dangerously, "For… for _cooking!?_ "

"Eep."

As Weiss began berating her partner much to the amusement of the rest of the team, Jaune found his own momentary humor fading as the previous frustration he had been feeling came back full force. Hours upon hours of studying, from learning to read to learning about history, Grimm anatomy, the different uses of Dust, and he had barely progressed.

Ever since his meeting with Lisa several days ago, Jaune had felt a particular itching at the back of his mind, the kind aching for a fight. Even when the reporter had first suggested he fight for her he had been interested in the idea. Now, it was almost a week later and he felt himself going stir-crazy with all the studying and lack of any combat whatsoever.

He wanted to say yes and damn the consequences, but he hadn't been able to broach the subject with either his teammates or Glynda. But he also had no idea how to ask for their advice without telling them outright that he was going to join an illegal fighting ring. They would likely outright say no, and if they got Lisa's name out of him, she might get in trouble as well.

"Aw, cheer up Jauney," Nora said, noticing his somber mood.

"Perhaps we can revise the test?" Pyrrha suggested, picking up one of his course textbooks, "I find that if I do make a mistake somewhere, it's easier to avoid in the future."

It was the last thing that Jaune wanted to do, and he found himself trying really hard not to be frustrated with the redhead, especially because he knew she was just trying to do what she thought was best for him. But how could he tell her that he didn't want to study, he wanted to fight.

As Pyrrha walked over to Glynda and collected Jaune's paper from the older woman, the sight of the teacher gave him an idea.

"Hey Glynda," Jaune called to the woman as he sat up straight, "I was actually thinking if- if it would be okay for me to come back? To Beacon, I mean. Maybe just for combat class."

His teammates looked surprised at his request but if Glynda was taken aback, she hid it really well.

"I don't believe that would be wise," she replied slowly after a hesitant moment, "It hasn't been too long since you've been gone, and your behavior has been brought up by the Department of Hunter Education. They are aware that you've been suspended and have strict instructions to keep you away from any... sanctioned combat situations."

"Yech, I guess even the Vale government is breathing down Ozpin's neck," Yang said, sticking out her tongue. Jaune licked his lips, barely avoiding clenching his jaw in frustration.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'sanctioned' combat?" Ruby asked the woman, something Jaune also wanted to know.

"It means that apart from combat class at Beacon, he's also restricted from tournaments or contests and the like outside of Beacon," Weiss explained, "At least until they lift the restriction. I guess due to how public Winchester's injury was, Headmaster Ozpin was forced to report it. Beacon may be autonomous from the Vale government, but they do have rules to follow as well."

Pyrrha walked over to Jaune, handing a textbook over to him while keeping his failed test in her hand. Jaune wondered if she had just ignored the entire conversation, and felt a stab of irritation at the thought.

The blond tossed the textbook onto the table in front of him, startling the redhead. In fact, it seemed that it had also alarmed the rest of his friends as well.

"Jaune?"

"I'm not doing this again," he said, his jaw set firmly. Ruby finally sat up, looking at him with concern.

"Jaune, is everything okay?" the younger girl asked, a crease on her brow. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself. Despite his annoyance, he still didn't want to upset his friends.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said, speaking gently, "I think it's imperative that you don't fall behind. It might not seem important now, but a lot of the things we're teaching you are very important."

The blond thought back to the night he went out with Lisa. She had talked a bit more about her interests over dinner, but what really stuck with him was what she told him right before they left the arena. If he wanted to do something, he should do it for himself.

Maybe it was selfish, but he felt that he deserved to be a little selfish now. He didn't remember his life before the Wilds and for nine years, every action he took was based on necessity. While he did choose to attend Beacon, it was still ultimately because he didn't really see any other real alternative.

It had been annoying being barred from taking part of his combat class while he was still at Beacon, but Jaune had gotten by because of the presence of his friends. Now however, while Qrow was still out there searching for his family, while he was forced to be apart from the friends he had made at Beacon, he wanted to do this for himself. He wanted to fight.

"I'm done," he said, feeling the anger surge through him alarmingly quickly, "I'm done with this."

"But-" Weiss started, but he firmly cut her off.

"No," he snarled as he stood up, "I said I'm not doing this again."

The room fell silent at his proclamation, and he could see the shock on the faces of his teammates. It made him feel ashamed at himself, but that just made him angrier. He walked away from the sitting area of the apartment, away from his friends. He caught Glynda's gaze on him, seeing a sorrowful look in her eyes. He avoided meeting them.

"Jaune, wait," Blake said, the first of his friends to speak up, "Look, maybe we can take a break instead. We all know what it's like to be under a lot of pressure. Let's just talk it out instead, okay?"

The blond watched her for a moment before dismissing her words. He looked at Glynda, their eyes meeting for a few seconds before she averted her eyes from his with a troubled look on her face. He wasn't sure if she really understood what he thinking, but she wasn't going to be any help here.

Jaune clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he realized nobody would truly understand where he was coming from. He found himself wishing Qrow was here; the man always seemed to get him, despite doing his best to piss the blond off.

"Hey, it's okay." His partner walked over to him with a look of concern on her face. She stepped forward, coming closer to him than she ever had and pressed her body to his, wrapping her arms around his, causing him to stiffen.

"Hey, what-" The blond abruptly moved away from the girl, disentangling himself from her as he lightly pushed her away. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, looking stricken as she took a step back, "I- I didn't think- I'm sorry. Sorry."

"What was- why were you doing that?" he asked the girl, doing his best to ignore the rest of his team as they watched the two, horrorstruck.

"I- I just thought you could use a hug," Pyrrha said shakily, holding her hands up, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't- I'm so sorry."

"That… that was a hug?" Jaune asked, his previous anger completely forgotten. The blond was familiar with the term but he hadn't ever experienced it before.

"You…" Pyrrha couldn't finish what she was trying to say, slapping her hands over her mouth as her eyes grew wet. Looking around, he saw similar expressions on everyone else. Even Glynda seemed shaken.

"Ah, was it one of those things I should know about?" he asked, feeling slightly foolish. The blond teacher got off of her seat and walked up to him.

"It is," she told him. Like Pyrrha had done so before, Glynda stepped into his personal space, wrapping her arms around him albeit slower than his partner had done. The blond stood there, his arms at his sides as he was unsure of what to do.

It was a warm feeling and Jaune felt something unfamiliar rise up inside him. He knew he wouldn't be able to control it so he viciously pushed it down, deciding to just enjoy Glynda's hug. He felt disappointed when she broke away, but noticed that Pyrrha was right there again.

As soon as Glynda moved away, Pyrrha enveloped him in a hug again. The redhead felt slightly different to the teacher, but it was the same warm feeling and Jaune felt himself melt into her slightly, enjoying the feeling. Unlike Glynda, the girl didn't let go and the blond witnessed both Blake and Ruby approach them over her shoulder.

The brunette lightly slammed into his side, jostling him and Pyrrha a bit, but she stretched her arms as wide as they could go as she tried to hug the two of them. On his other side, Blake smiled at him, her own eyes suspiciously wet as she also joined their hug.

"Group hug!" he heard Nora call out, and both she and Yang slammed into the growing hug with even more force than Ruby had. Ren walked up to the group with a calmer stride, placing a supporting hand on Jaune's shoulder instead of squeezing in. Jaune could understand; there wasn't really room left.

As his team surrounded him with their love and caring, the blond felt that same feeling rising up again, and he felt his eyes growing wet before he once again shoved it down, not wanting whatever it was to come out.

"Well, I suppose there are more important lessons to teach you about," Weiss said, approaching the group. As everyone parted to let the girl have her turn, the much shorter girl hugged him tightly for a short moment before stepping away.

Then she stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek for a very short moment before she turned and walked away. Jaune looked at her in bewilderment.

"You kissed him!" Ruby said in astonishment.

" _On the cheek!_ " Weiss hissed, her cheeks reddening, "It was just a friendly peck, nothing more!"

"I think that for the moment," Glynda said, addressing the real matter at hand before anyone could tease the girl, "You should do whatever it is you feel that you should, Jaune. I think everyone here will agree that you more than deserve it."

"Here here!" Yang called out, raising a pretend glass.

"I think this calls for a party," Blake said, a smile still on her face as she looked at Jaune. Nearby, Pyrrha wiped the last of her tears from her eyes before addressing the group.

"I'll order us some pizza, my treat," she said, her voice still slightly shaky. Ruby grabbed his wrist, dragging him over to the couch to play a videogame with him as everyone else decided to set up for the impromptu party.

Jaune looked around the room, noticing that everyone was still watching him with happy smiles on their faces. This time, the feeling in his chest was different; like it was going to burst from the joy. It felt even better than the thrill he got from fighting.

He had never appreciated the people in this room before as much as he did now.

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** Hello! It's been a while.

So, obviously there's been a lot of content here, and I want to take the time to talk about this chapter. I think I'll cover it sequentially as it appeared.

Firstly, we see the true reason Lisa was interested in Jaune. It's not in her capacity as a reporter but as someone that enjoys watching this illegal underground fighting tournament. In terms of her personality, Lisa Lavender is quite risque and naughty in her private life, a far cry from her more professional appearance as a reporter. The best way to describe it is that she is aroused by violence. Her interest in Jaune is purely in terms of seeing him fight; in case anyone hasn't caught on, she saw him break up the fight in the restaurant. It didn't matter whether he was a girl or a guy, she saw something that was ruthless and beautiful to her, and decided then and there that she wanted him.

Her advances on him mostly went over his head; Jaune is nowhere near experienced enough to know when a girl is making a move on him unless she basically forces herself on him. In fact, I don't think he really understands what it means that someone is hitting on him. Either way, the main point here is that what Lisa wants out of him first and foremost is for him to fight. Her flirting and trying to seduce him, failure that it was, is just her not taking sex off the table without giving it its due diligence. Again, that wouldn't exactly be legal either since Jaune is technically underage, but Lisa is a bit deviant like that. Not that he's a child; seventeen and enrolled in a Huntsman school should be more than enough for him to make a sound decision what kind of activities he wants to engage in.

The next scene takes a more of a horrific turn. As you can see, I've not white-washed Neo in the slightest. She's... I suppose you could say psychopathic. She's not crazy or out of her mind or anything; everything she does is carefully considered and well-thought out. She just enjoys things out of the norm. Actually, compare Neo's scene to the one before and you'll see some similarities. While Neo isn't _sexually_ aroused like Lisa was, her proclivities are much more deviant and messed up. I'd say they're on the same spectrum, though the disparity is also obvious. Anyway, I hope that this does establish that Neo is a _bad_ person. Whether or not she's had a tragic backstory, she's a villain and she enjoys what she does.

The final scene was a long time coming. In all the scenes up until now, I've carefully kept track to avoid writing about Jaune being hugged by anyone (hopefully I didn't accidentally write it in). He _has_ been hugged before, make no mistake. But that was before he got lost in the Wilds (and he doesn't recall those memories) so as far as he's concerned, he hasn't really experienced a hug. When Pyrrha tries to hug him after he lashes out, he pushes her away because he doesn't know what she's doing. Cue the group realizing that for all intents and purposes, he's never been hugged. Something so elementary, something so simple and taken for granted. Of course, they quickly rectify the situation, with Glynda leading the charge.

Lastly, don't read too much into Weiss kissing his cheek. As I've mentioned before, this isn't really a story about 'pairings' etc... and I hope that people can handle something as simple as a friendly kiss on the cheek without rapidly devolving into a ship-fest.

Thanks for reading, and do leave a review with your thoughts and comments! I hope to see a lot because I really missed reading them!

Cheers!

knuckz


	27. Blood 2-3

**Residuum**

 **Blood 2.3**

 **i**

* * *

Judging by how his friends had reacted to the apartment that Ozpin had set him up with, Jaune knew that the Headmaster hadn't cut corners. The blond had actually liked the dorm back at Beacon, despite the fact that it got a little cozy especially with eight people living in it. Often times they would have to keep both bedroom doors open to get some airflow into the room. Most of all, even the dorm was a far cry better than anything he had ever had before.

So when he moved into the apartment, he had felt both awed and a bit disappointed. It was more spacious than the dorm, and both Weiss and Yang had lamented that he had a full room and closet to himself. His team commented on how hard it might have been to procure a residence so close to Beacon, but Ozpin clearly had connections. Either way, while Jaune enjoyed the extra space, he did prefer to be with his friends instead.

However, if he found his accommodations to be big and spacious, Lisa's put his to absolute shame. He was sure that even just the living room was bigger than the entirety of his apartment. Even her kitchen must have been the size of his bedroom, if not larger. In the living room, her couch was an immaculate white and set in front of a black coffee table facing an absolutely gigantic television. There were various framed pictures on the wall, though they weren't of anything in particular at which point Jaune didn't quite understand why she even bothered to have them.

"Come on in," she said, walking in nonchalantly and leaving the door open behind her, "Close the door behind you and make yourself at home. And do take off your shoes, will you?"

The blond complied, walking in after the woman and shutting the door behind him. The silver-haired woman walked toward what Jaune could see was her bathroom, gradually divesting herself of her clothes along the way. He wasn't exactly sure if he should be watching her undress, but unlike any of the girls on his team Lisa didn't seem to care about her privacy. He rubbed the back of his head, watching as she placed her top and her skirt in a laundry hamper before working off her undergarments.

Jaune only remembered having seen Ruby in a similar state of undress, though she had gone red-faced and immediately covered herself up, running into her bedroom in haste. Since then, the girl had taken great care to be fully dressed when coming out of the bathroom.

"There's a great deal for us to go over," Lisa told him, taking off the last two pieces of clothing she wore, causing Jaune to avert his eyes for a moment though his gaze did inevitably come back to her. She walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a white towel and a few bottles of what he thought might be hair-care products before walking into her bathroom.

"Obviously you can't just go in and immediately fight with no thought to hiding your identity," she said, looking completely unperturbed about being naked in his presence, "Unlike Stone and Carmine, you have a private life and I doubt you want anyone to be able to find or recognize you."

Lisa disappeared further into her bathroom and Jaune heard the sounds of a water tap being turned on. Just from the noise, Jaune guessed that she was getting the shower ready.

"So today, more than just preparing you for the arena, we'll have to come up with a good disguise for you," she explained, her voice distant, "What are you doing? Hurry up and get in here."

He hesitated slightly but just shrugged and went after the woman. They had met up a few times between the fight and now, usually for a late dinner after she was done with her work as a news reporter. Lisa was similar to his friends in a certain sense; she always seemed to have a certain confidence in herself like they did, but it was of a very different sort.

As he stepped into the bathroom, the long haired blond had to pause in wonder. Even Beacon's facilities had nothing on this. Much like the rest of the apartment, the size of the room left little to be desired. There was even another door inside, and as Jaune noticed the lack of a latrine in the area, he assumed it was probably behind that door. Lisa was showering behind a transparent sliding door, scrubbing her soap-covered upper body. Jaune ignored her in favor of inspecting the indoor mini-pool she had. The water was bubbling, indicating to him that it was heated. It wasn't the biggest pool he had seen, but he was sure the entirety of his team could easily fit in.

The sliding door opened and Lisa stepped out, grabbing her towel from the nearby rack. Jaune awkwardly stood there watching as she dried herself from neck to toe. He wasn't quite sure why she needed him in here for, especially while she was showering. He knew that most people did not generally appreciate being seen in the nude, but then Lisa wasn't like most people.

After she finished, Lisa's amber eyes fell upon him. She gave him a grin, an eyebrow raised.

"Like what you see?" she asked with a grin, her hand on her hip. Jaune looked around once more before nodding.

"It's very nice," he answered, "The bathrooms in my apartment or Beacon aren't this nice."

Lisa laughed, walking up to him and resting a hand on his shoulder fondly.

"You're one of a kind," she said, bringing her other hand up and patting him on the cheek twice. Turning away, she walked toward the bubbling water and touched it with the tip of her toe. Apparently finding the temperature likeable, Lisa slowly slipped in and let out a sigh of contentment. Once inside, she rotated to the far side so she was facing the blond, regarding him with an expectant gaze.

"Well, don't just stand there," she said, "This hot tub is big enough for the both of us."

"I already had a shower before I came here," Jaune told her. Lisa just shook her head.

"This isn't a shower honey, this is a hot tub." She spoke as if that explained everything but to him it obviously didn't.

"Uh…"

"Look, I'm not just your sponsor. Think of me as your coach as well," Lisa explained, "And I need to get a good look at you so I have an idea of your strengths and weaknesses. It's also necessary in order to perfect your disguise. Now hurry up and go take off your clothes and join me."

The blond considered her reply seriously but still felt a little bit skeptical.

"Why do I have to be naked for that?" he asked, "Actually, why are _you_ naked?"

"We'll both be naked because it's fun," Lisa replied casually, "Besides, I just came back from a long day and I want to soak in here for a bit. And I can't properly evaluate you if you're not in here with me."

Jaune just raised an eyebrow. Despite only knowing the woman for around a week, he felt he got a good handle on her mannerisms.

"I seriously doubt that."

" _Jaune…_ " she called out, with a tone he knew to be an annoying one because she usually got like that when she was going to somehow force him to do something. The few times the reporter had used it on him, he had given in.

"Fine." He huffed before removing his clothes.

"Put them in the laundry hamper and grab a towel," Lisa called out, leaning backward against the built in rest and closing her eyes as she relaxed, "Make sure you soap up and shower before you get in here. Nothing against you but I'd rather avoid the risk of contaminating the water."

Jaune did as she asked, showering quickly before approaching her in the hot tub. Likely having heard his footsteps, Lisa opened her eyes to gaze at him from head to toe.

"Stop there for a second and let me get a good look at you," she said, moving through the water to get close to him.

"Um..."

"Don't worry, I'm looking at your physique for purely professional reasons," she said, her eyes roving over his body. Then she licked her lips and smiled at him, a gleam in her eyes.

"And at a certain area for purely personal reasons," she said, winking at him, "Nice."

The audacious woman moved back to give him room to enter. Unlike she had earlier, Jaune dropped into the water without any hesitation and his eyes widened in wonderment. The water was appreciatively warm and the blond realised why Lisa had wanted to just relax in here. The warmth completely surrounded him and he was oddly reminded of the time his team had engaged in that group hug.

"Looks like you like it," Lisa said, sidling up to him and grabbing both his arms, "Now stand still."

She moved her hands up and down his arms, squeezing them every so often and mouthing something to herself. Jaune couldn't make out what exactly she was saying. Her groping moved on to his toned chest and abdominals, rubbing and squeezing his sides.

"I'm assuming since you're a Beacon student, your aura has been activated, correct?" she asked, nodding to herself when he confirmed it, "Your physique is excellent, more than just any Huntsman. You've got a lean body but an amazing amount of strength in your frame. Have you trained while leaving your aura off for a long time?"

Jaune was taken aback at her breakdown, not having expected such a keen analysis from the woman. He wasn't the greatest at sensing aura but even he knew enough to know whether a person had it activated or not, and Lisa definitely did not.

"Yeah, I actually didn't have it unlocked until after I got to Beacon," he said, "How did you know?"

"It's pretty simple actually. Aura protects the body so working out with your aura activated does nothing to grow your muscles as none of the protein gets broken down during exercise," she said, still touching his torso in odd places, "Muscles grow during rest phases but there needs to be damage of some sort; that doesn't happen when aura is used to augment movement."

"Okay, I don't really get it but I do know that a lot of people at Beacon are in good shape," Jaune said.

"I'm sure they understand this as well," Lisa said, "But aura is a crutch with very little downsides for a Huntsman. Once they're fit enough for their purposes without it, aura is enough to make the difference. From what I've seen, there are very few people that are exceptions to this."

Jaune couldn't help but think of Pyrrha and how insanely in shape the girl was. He knew she worked out a lot without her aura and the results spoke for themselves; the general consensus put the redhead as likely the strongest student in the entire school, let alone the first years. Jaune wondered if this played a contributing factor.

"You're even better than I thought," Lisa said, softly biting down on her finger as she gave him yet another one of _those_ looks, "Whatever regimen you went through before Beacon gave you a body that I could dream about. Not some sort of musclebound freak like Stone but with your aura backing you up, just as strong if not stronger."

Her hands began to make their way lower, sliding down his hips and feeling his thighs under the water. Smiling at him, Lisa sucked in a breath and ducked underneath the water. The blond could feel her slowly repeat the same procedure on his legs.

After a short moment, the pale-haired woman came back up and let out the breath she was holding, her chest pushing out with the movement. He barely caught a mischievous grin on her face before she pushed up against him. As her bare breasts pressed against his chest, he felt her hands drag down across his back, finally resting on his behind as she gave them a firm grope. Jaune flinched slightly, feeling slightly ticklish as she did so.

She held that position and he felt her lean her head onto his shoulder, her hot breath on his neck. The blond stood there awkwardly, waiting for the woman to finish her evaluation.

"Oh come on," she said after finally stepping away from him, "I know you're attracted to me, how are you still not erect?"

"Uh, what?"

"Never mind," she said, sighing, "Well, you have an absolutely _absurd_ amount of explosive power in your legs. More than that, it's been fostered, bolstered, and protected. I saw it in your upper body, but damn are your legs strong. Whoever trained you was really smart; they obviously saw your strengths and made you that much better while training your weaknesses. The problem with explosive energy is usually that it can't be used too much, but I can clearly see the training there."

Jaune thought back to some of the training he had done with Qrow. The man had made him do a lot of weird exercises; the blond had done them reluctantly at the time, not understanding the point but perhaps his mentor knew a lot more than he was willing to tell.

"However you happened to get this body, it's actually perfect for the arena," she said, "The fights in there tend to be vicious and short. Having explosive power like you do is a huge advantage. We'll just have to come up with your fighting style. Obviously, you can't use the same weapon you used in Beacon so we'll have to get you a weapon that fits you."

"How do you know all of this? About my body, I mean." This was a point that had been bothering him this entire time. Lisa was a lot of things but he hadn't expected her to be so knowledgeable about the body.

"My father was a fitness trainer," she explained as she began to get out of the water, "I spent a lot of time in the gym as a child, usually as he gave advice to a lot of different people, including Huntsman. You pick up a thing or two. Anyway, we've been in here long enough. Let's go dry off and we'll go over your disguise."

It was with great reluctance that he followed after her, having really enjoyed the warmth. Lisa tossed him another towel as she already began drying herself off, scrubbing her hair diligently. Jaune followed her example and started on his hair, though he spent considerably less time than her.

"I'm sure you've heard this from just about any other female, but I'm extremely jealous of your hair," she said, watching him with a pout as she opened a closet full of bathrobes.

"I have," he replied, remembering Yang's reaction to his hair as he caught the robe she tossed to him. He put the robe on and tied the strings around his waist, watching Lisa empty the laundry hamper into her washer.

"We have a couple of hours between washing and drying your clothes," she said, grabbing his towel from him, "Luckily they're all dark so I was able to do it one load. Come on, follow me."

Lisa led him into her bedroom where she pulled a chair over to her round bed, gesturing for him to sit in it. As he took a seat, she walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of underwear, sliding them on and finally covering up her bottom.

Grabbing a clean hairbrush from her dresser, she sat on the bed behind him and began viciously drying his hair with the towel like he had failed to do. The blond didn't bother to stop her; he knew it was easier for him to just let her do what she wanted at this point.

Once his hair was sufficiently dry, she began to comb it. He could hear her make a frustrated noise, probably because of how easy it was to tame. After a minute of brushing, Lisa stood up and walked over to her dresser again, opening the top drawer and rummaging through it. Withdrawing a few sticks, Lisa stood behind him and began pulling at his hair. He bore her assault with patience, letting her pull and tie his hair as she pleased.

"There we go," she said, pulling him out of the chair. He absentmindedly noticed that she had shrugged off her bathrobe and opted to go topless instead, but was soon looking at his changed reflection in the mirror.

Lisa had tied his hair into a style similar to how Glynda wore hers, a bun tied tightly on the back of his head. She had left a few strands to fall on either side of his face from the front and tied the bun in an elaborate way around two of the sticks she had grabbed. All in all, Jaune felt surprised at how different he looked with just a different hairstyle.

"It makes a world of difference, right? With some hair color and a new outfit, you'll be almost unrecognizable," she said, smirking at her handiwork. Jaune was definitely impressed with her work.

"The only thing really left is to go over your fighting style," she said, "Well, we won't really be changing your fighting style per se, just adapting it work with something other than your sword. Now, based on what you told me about your fighting style a few days ago, I do have some ideas for a new weapon."

Lisa walked over to her bedside table and grabbed a scroll off it, going through it quickly before holding it out for him to see. Seeing the blade she had in mind, Jaune walked towards her eagerly. His eyes gleamed as they devoured the screen, drinking in the sight of the weapon she had come up with.

The silver-haired woman noticed his grin and leered right back at him.

"Like what you see?" she asked him for the second time.

"Definitely."

* * *

 **ii**

* * *

He stood carefully still as he eyed his opponent, awaiting the start of the match. He certainly felt the thrill for the upcoming battle and was excited for it. He hadn't really fought someone with her skillset before. There wasn't really anyone amongst his friends with a ranged fighting style apart from Weiss, though even she often fought in close range despite being what she referred to as a 'Dust-mage'.

When they had first learned of his opponent for his debut match, he and Lisa had gone over several of her previous matches. Skye was ranged fighter that could fire blasts of wind in both concussive and cutting forces using a bladed oar. Jaune, who was primarily a close-ranged fighter, would have a hard time getting close to her but would win the match if he got within range. He did have an advantage of being unknown but the lack of a semblance would work against him. Lisa was still confident in his ability to win and informed him of the reputation he would get when it became clear that he had been fighting an uphill battle.

Just as when she had first measured him in her hot tub, Jaune couldn't help but feel impressed with the woman's preparedness. Her disguise had multiple layers to conceal his identity. She had dyed his hair black before tying it up in a bun to prevent anyone from anyone finding him using his hair colour. The outfit she got for him was dark and covered him up completely, including a hood to further hide his face. It wasn't an infallible disguise given his face could be revealed quite easily, but wearing a mask felt uncomfortable now that he had gone without one for so long and all the competitors got by mostly on good faith in regards to their identity.

"You're new," the woman called out, a single eyebrow raised as she watch him with a cocky grin. Jaune didn't reply, raising his shoulder slightly in a shrug.

"Going for the strong and silent look?" she asked, shaking her head, "It's wanting."

The blond heard a bell go off, signalling the countdown. He looked to the right and saw a screen counting down from fifteen. A small shuffling sound drew his attention back to Skye. His gaze roved down her body from head to toe. She had short brown hair falling no longer than her ears, streaked with a bright blue throughout. Her clothes weren't the most protective, her midriff bare for the most part and aside from her oar, Jaune couldn't spot any other weapons on her.

As the countdown neared zero, both he and his opponent readied themselves. Sky began to twirl her oar slowly, obviously beginning to gather some wind. The blond crouched slightly, his hands near his hips ready to grab the weapons Lisa had provided him.

The match started with a loud ding and Skye struck immediately, sending a blade of wind right at him. The blond had anticipated her opening strike and dodged to the right before charging at her explosively. The brunette was momentarily surprised at the speed at which he had accelerated but the distance between them was still enough for her to react.

She blew him back with a concussive force, a wide-area gust of wind that would not miss, sending more blades at him right after as she spun and twirled her weapon. Jaune knew his aura dipped slightly at the hit though he deftly dodged the follow-up strikes with short hops to the side.

"You're quick on your feet, Surge," she shouted at him, her assault continuous.

"You're annoying," he shot back at her, causing her to grin.

Reaching out with his gauntleted right hand, Jaune grabbed one of the daggers affixed to his waist. He immediately noticed the the look of concentration and wariness on Skye's face as she eyed the weapon with apprehension. It had both an unusually thick blade and a long handle, painted completely black so as to blend in with his outfit.

Rearing back, Jaune flicked the blade towards her as if striking with a whip, activating the transforming mechanism in the weapon. The blade glided towards Skye, extending past its range as it swung at the woman, a long chain connecting the blade to the handle. As it flew, the switch Jaune had activated extended the blade itself, opening up the normally straight-edged blade into a sickle.

"Whoa."

Skye reacted fantastically, combatting the blade with her semblance and sending it flying away from her. Instead of falling to the ground uselessly, the chain retracted sharply and sandwiched the blade back into the handle. Jaune grabbed the other dagger with his free hand, this one only bandaged, and attacked again.

The brunette seemed to realize she was trapped with the blond's ranged attacks, her aura steadily decreasing as she fended them off with her semblance instead of risking getting hit in case she couldn't swat them away with her weapon. Slowly but surely, Jaune was advancing forward, taking his time to dodge the slicing blades of wind she continually sent at him.

In a sudden movement, Skye brought her weapon above her head and began spinning it ferociously, beginning to shield herself within a concave wall of air that neither of Jaune's sickles could penetrate from the front or the sides. He moved forward quickly, hoping to take advantage of his temporary reprieve of her wind attacks but she was prepared it before he could reach her.

A blade of wind hit him this time, his close proximity to her rendering it almost impossible to dodge. The blistering attack stung harshly, no doubt leaving a welt where it had struck him and decreasing his aura a decent amount but Jaune powered forward, ignoring it as best he could. The next attack hit him in the head, almost blindsiding him and knocking his hood off.

"You sure are a pretty one," she said, "Too pretty, actually. I think I'll enjoy this."

He knew he couldn't keep taking these attacks so he lashed out again, send another sickle vaulting towards her. This time, instead of trying to hit her directly, he used his proximity to her to swing the sickle around and catch her from the back. She was too close to the wall however and the blade lodged deep into the wall, the chain being pulled taut as it was unable to retract.

"Oops," she said, noticing the blunder, "Down one weapon."

She took the opportunity to hit him again a few times but Jaune grit his teeth and bore the attacks as best he could. He swung his other sickle at her, this time on the opposite side. Like the one before, it became wedged in the wall and the chain wasn't able to spring it back. Jaune kept hold of both handles, refusing to let go as he barely dodged another blade of wind by ducking slightly. He noticed Skye look disappointed; clearly she was trying to leave a mark on his face.

"The same mistake twice?" she said, "You need to know when to quit."

Jaune didn't bother replying, not wanting her to catch wind on what he was going to do next. Activating a button on both weapons, Jaune jumped at her. The handles retracted into the firmly wedged sickles with enough forced to carry the blond with them.

Skye was completely caught by surprised as he blasted through her wall and body-slammed into her, smashing her into the wall. Feeling slightly dazed, Jaune wasted no time in getting a firm hold of the woman, not wanting to give her another chance to keep him away.

His body and his head still stung from her attacks and he used the pain from them to drive his rage as he finally attacked. Pulling out the chains from his weapons, he wrapped them around her neck and swiftly got behind her, pulling both of the handles upwards as they rough metal began constricting her airways.

"You talk too much," he told her, grunting from exertion.

Skye dropped her weapon and began pawing at him and at the chains around her neck as Jaune choked her. Her movements started becoming frantic and Jaune kept a close eye at the screen to watch her aura deplete into the red.

Slowly, her movements became sluggish and finally relented, her hands dropping to her sides as the girl finally went down. With his victory assured, Jaune relaxed his hold and removed the chains from around her neck, letting the unconscious girl fall to the floor.

He felt the adrenaline die out as the arena clamored with his win. Medics rushed out to check up on the girl and Jaune noticed a disguised figure he knew to be Lisa standing near the entrance to the arena, waiting for him.

Not bothering to acknowledge any of the cheers he was getting, Jaune walked over to his sponsor who gripped his arm and led him away. Not paying attention to where they were going, Jaune dutifully followed her into the room she had prepared for them.

As soon as both of them were securely in the room with the door locked, Lisa discarded her cloak, tossing it haphazardly onto the bed before pushing Jaune into a seat and falling onto his lap.

"Now THAT…" she said huskily, "that was everything I imagined."

Jaune rolled his shoulder backwards, ignoring the way the paled-haired woman rested her head on it.

"She was annoying," he said, rubbing a sore spot on his abdomen, "Her attacks weren't easy to take so often."

"The way you wrapped your chains around her neck," she continued, her breath hot on his neck, "Her frantic struggling, clawing at you as she was slowly asphyxiated…"

Jaune felt her shudder against his body, ignoring it as he was used to her odd antics by this point.

"I didn't think it would be as hard to win as it was," he said, frowning slightly. Lisa grinned as she slowly relaxed against him, the warmth of her body comforting after the battle.

"Though you can't deny it was fun," she said, "I saw the look in your eyes when your hood got blown off. Too bad you never look at me like that."

"Maybe if you were a fighter," he muttered, closing his eyes as Lisa snaked her hand underneath his clothes to feel his bare chest, lightly trailing her fingers across his skin.

"That would be a different kind of battle," she said, "Still, it's like you said before; fighting in an open area is your weak spot. You're going into every fight with a disadvantage."

She unfastened Jaune's cloak, letting it slide off his shoulders as she pulled up his dark-colored shirt, him dutifully lifting his arms as she removed it and tossed it aside. His body was littered with marks, many old ones from his time in the Wilds but there were also some glaring red welts from where Skye's attacks had struck him.

The blond had to suppress a shiver as he felt Lisa's cool fingers work over them, his skin burning from her ministrations.

"I guess even with aura these kinds of injuries couldn't be helped," she said. She leaned over the side of the couch, grabbing a jar of ointment and uncapping it.

"Temporary though they might be, I suppose you could take these as victory scars," Lisa said as she meticulously began rubbing the cream onto his skin. Jaune didn't reply but he definitely understood the sentiment.

It was supremely comforting, a cozy warmth surrounding him as he drifted off with the enjoyable feeling of Lisa's soothing fingers on his blistering skin. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

* * *

 **iii**

* * *

Roman interlocked his fingers, stretching them out and cracking a few of them. Letting out a pleased sigh, the man began doing the same to his neck as if in anticipation of something to come. Beside him, his diminutive partner rolled her eyes as she largely ignored his antics to watch her programme.

"Now now, don't be like that Neo," he said, "You of all people know the trouble we went through to get this."

He grabbed the simple white envelope off the table, opening it and taking out the single sheet of paper contained within.

"It's the moment of truth." He glanced at Neo who ignored him in favor of watching the fight with great interest. When he didn't get any reaction from her, he cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention.

"I said, it's the moment of truth," he repeated, "Oh come on! This sheet of paper cost a finger, an expensive engagement ring, and likely a marriage to get. It'd be nice to see some appreciation for my effort."

Neo made a gesture with her hand which Roman took to mean somewhere within the range of 'shush' and 'fuck off'. He huffed in annoyance at her attitude.

"The fight isn't in his favor." The redhead caught sight of the screen that his partner's were glued to, "He's a close range fighter if ever I've seen one and with daggers like those, it doesn't look like he can get close to-"

Roman watched as the cloaked fighter swung his dagger at his unsuspecting opponent, the blade attached to a chain.

"Never mind." He felt slightly impressed. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get the girl's attention, he went on to open the information sheet without the fanfare he wanted. Scanning it thoroughly, a smile slowly began to grow on his face.

"Oh my," he said, "How naughty you've been, Mr. Flore."

It was this kind of information that made it all worth it. A collusion with Atlas to build some sort of machine that allowed the men in power to play God. And all behind the backs of Vale's actual authority.

The criminal wondered if it was this type of information thought could officially make a traitor out of a countryman. He had no doubt that this correspondence between Flore and this Atlas official was at the very least an act of treason; there was no way Vale would ever sanction such a project.

"How would you feel about a new semblance, Neo?" He waved the letter at her in hopes of getting her attention. Roman was only joking however, knowing better than anyone that she would never go for such a thing, even if it were actually possible. He wasn't really going to trust a piece of paper, after all.

The girl gasped and for a brief moment, he thought he might have had her attention. Her gaze was still affixed to the television screen however, and Roman glanced at it to see that the hooded fighter's face had been revealed, blown back from catching one of Skye's wind-blasts.

"Is he your type?" If Roman didn't know any better, he would have mistaken the fighter for a girl. His face was rather feminine, dark hair tied back into a knot and blue eyes revealed. Looking at Neo, he noticed a smile spread across her face, a delighted look in her mismatched eyes.

That was never really a good sign.

"And there goes Mr. Surge's first weapon."

And soon after, he also lost the second in a similar fashion. Roman noticed what Skye didn't however, and it was that she had been trapped between her opponent and the wall. He had seen her fight before of course, and her attacks weren't ever deadly. He never bothered finding out if it was a limit to her semblance or just her as a person, but it was never really prudent.

"That's the match." Roman knew there was no way the man would let Skye go now that he had caught her; she was a long-range fighter and he couldn't afford it. What he didn't expect was how the man wrapped his chains around the slim girl's neck.

"Damn." He whistled at the ruthlessness. Roman noticed Neo's leg shake violently, her heel tapping at the ground. It was rare to see her this excited.

As they watched Surge brutally choke out his defeated opponent, the man leaned back into his seat as he wondered about Neo's unusual excitement.

"Do you know him?" he asked, "You looked like you recognize him."

As the match finally ended with Skye's loss, Neo exhaled deeply and typed out a message to Roman.

"A Beacon student in disguise?" Roman read aloud, "You went out on a date with a student?"

Neo grinned and fell over, spreading out over the couch as she lay down. Roman's eye twitched when he saw her boots touch the meticulously clean sofa.

"You are pretty good with faces, especially a pretty-boy like that one. Just be careful." It went without saying, of course. Messing with a Beacon student meant messing with Ozpin, and Ozpin required intensive and careful planning to get around or avoid.

"Anyway, it looks like there's a test subject out here in Vale." Roman waved the letter around, finally getting Neo to pay some attention to their task, "I never thought this whole Project Simulacrum would have gotten this far. Alas, our search continues."

Neo huffed and turned onto her side, already annoyed with their next burden. Roman just rolled his eyes at her reaction; she did the same thing for almost everything they had to do.

"Still, implanting artificial Semblances into people," he said, reading the letter once more, "I never would have thought ol' Ironwood would be funding this kind of research. Especially behind Ozpin's back."

 _fin_

* * *

 **Notes:** Long overdue, I know. I've quit some bad habits cold-turkey recently and am getting back into the habit of writing.

There was an anonymous person that left a review recently that pointed out my overuse of 'said' and it's synonyms. I hadn't really realized it, so thank you for pointing it out to me. It was a great help and I've begun to work it out of my writing. You won't notice in this chapter since this was written for some time and I didn't want to go back and edit it, but I did implement it in the scene iii so you'll see a marked difference there.

Speaking of scenes, time to tell you that it was my shitty idea to write in scenes that really killed my muse for this story. I constrained myself by trying to write into scenes, and it fucked me over when I forced myself to write within those limits. I'll admit it was stupid to do it, though honestly I didn't realize until I found myself stuck and unable to write for this past... year is it?

From here on out, I'm no longer going to be writing in specified scenes (the whole i, ii, iii stuff); this isn't a play. I won't be going back to change anything already written, but this chapter is the last of this format and from now on I'll write normally.

In regards to this chapter, it's shorter because I'm attempting to streamline my writing process. I'm avoid filler for the sake of filler, as I realize that I have a bad habit of pandering to the audience and it's a crutch of mine that I'm trying to do away with. Scenes like Jaune putting his hand on Pyrrha's breast (didn't need to happen at all), or Pyrrha's over-the-top dramatic conversation with Jaune on the rooftop (my inner Arkos-fan leaked) weren't necessary and definitely could have been done better.

Anyway, here's to better beginnings. Please make sure to review so I know if there are still people out there interested in this. Let me know your thoughts on not just the chapter, but the state of the story and whatever else.

Thanks!

knuckz


	28. Blood 2-4

**Residuum**

 **Blood 2.4**

* * *

"Look, there he is! Right there!"

"Yes, we see him too, Rubes." Yang rolled her eyes at her team leader's enthusiasm, staring out the window herself to catch sight of their final teammate, standing tall beside Professor Goodwitch. It had been a week since they had seen the blond, their studies bogging them down more than any of them thought.

"As well," Weiss corrected, which only made the blonde groan. When he had first been moved from Beacon proper, the seven of them had taken to visiting him every single day. Their grades had started to suffer however, with each visit eating up most of their days and evenings and thus they had been restricted to visit the boy only during their days off.

None of them had been happy about it of course, they had complained and complained until Glynda had threatened several detentions. They were still belligerent but eventually Jaune had called them himself and said that he would be okay. They had reluctantly let it go at his request.

"He looks happy." She had to agree with Pyrrha; she hadn't see Jaune look this relaxed or carefree for a long time.

The plane landed and Ruby was the first one out, making liberal use of her semblance to launch herself at Jaune, wrapping herself around him as she circled his body and climbed onto his back. Her arms wrapped around his chest as she hugged him tightly, her cheek digging into the crux of his neck.

"Jaune! Hi." Since what they commonly referred to as 'The Hug', their team had become affectionately close to each other, and most of that went into enunciating their suspended teammate with positive physical contact. It went without saying that Ruby was the most enthusiastic about it, almost always draping herself over him whenever they went to visit him in Vale.

And she couldn't even tease the girl about it since everyone on the team went out of their way to be close to the blond, even Weiss. Yang didn't want to think what it would've been like if they hadn't learned about his tragic past; the thought of it made her sad and angry.

"Are you ready for a hopefully exciting class?" Ren asked. Beside him, Nora certain looked ready. Yang already knew they would lose a jar or two to the orange-haired girl's stomach.

"We're supposed to collect sap or something?" Jaune didn't seem too bothered by the task, boring as it sounded. Yang watched his reaction carefully. Around him, the team began to surround the boy as surreptitiously as possible. They had already noticed the whispers from their other classmates regarding his presence, and guarding him was something they had actively discussed beforehand when they were told he would be coming for the project.

"Some _delicious_ sap," Nora corrected, licking her lips at the prospect. Weiss palmed her face.

"I've never been in a red forest before." Jaune looked around at his surroundings as Glynda walked around to gather the rest of their errant classmates, some of which who had already wandered off a bit. Blake touched her shoulder lightly, nodding towards a bruise on Jaune's neck as he looked away from them to inspect a tree.

Again, another injury. It went unspoken that nobody would ask him about it. The first time they had tried, the blond had clammed up and ignored the question. It was one thing to know that he didn't seem to know how to lie convincingly, but an entirely different thing to think of a way to force Jaune to tell them something. Yang hated that she had to walk on eggshells around someone she cared about, but even Glynda seemed to avoid the topic.

"It's a nice color." Her dark-haired partner sidled up to him, "Just like Pyrrha's hair. What do you think, Jaune?"

"Well, Pyrrha's hair is a better color." Yang hid her grin when a small blush dusted Pyrrha's cheeks as Blake cajoled Jaune into teasing her, not that he understood what she had done.

"Gather around, class." Glynda had returned with their chastised-looking classmates, "As we've gone over before, we will be gathering red sap for your assignment today. You will be doing so in your regular teams of course, but take care not to stray too far. There are Grimm in this forest. We will be departing in two hours; be sure to finish within that time."

Blake dragged Jaune away as Yang walked up to Pyrrha, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her in. Pyrrha jerked, startled.

"Yang?"

She nodded at the redheaded girl, looking ahead to where Blake had dragged the male leader of their team. As Weiss joined Ren to help him control Nora's appetite, Ruby joined the two of them, curious as to what they were doing.

"Is this about his bruises?" Yang nodded in answer to her sister's question, sighing.

"He won't open up about it to us," she said to the two, "But that could be because we've tried to force it out of him as a group. Let Blake give it a shot, one on one."

"I'm worried he's getting into fights." Pyrrha rubbed her arm as she began walking forward to start on the assignment, breaking apart from Yang's grip. She grabbed one of the faucets provided to their team and absentmindedly looked for a tree to extract the sap from.

"He's almost definitely getting into fights." There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Injuries like that didn't show up out of nowhere. When they had visited him at his apartment and saw his black eye a few weeks ago, they naturally had freaked out. The fact that he had been hit hard enough to get such an injury whilst having aura was a cause for concern, and that there was a new one every time they saw him only made them worry more.

"Nora, no!"

"Why didn't you let me talk to him instead?" Pyrrha demanded, speaking in hushed tones as she turned the tap.

"You're too close to him, and vice versa. He'd zip up 'cause you'd be disappointed." When Pyrrha turned to her and opened her mouth to object, Yang waved her off, "Oh please, you're already upset just thinking about it. Blake will be subtle, so let her try instead."

"Mama's coming, my sweet! This dastardly ice princess won't keep me away for long!"

"Shouldn't we be upset?" Ruby asked. The girl hurriedly stuck a jar under Pyrrha's forgotten faucet, just barely catching the syrup.

"I'm worried that he's going to get himself in trouble, but considering how relaxed he's been I think whatever fighting club he's gotten himself into is doing good for him." Yang turned her head to watch as Weiss attempted to hold Nora back as Ren extracted syrup from a nearby tree, keeping a wary eye on his partner.

With their imposed restrictions, the team were hardly in a position to keep watch over him. They really had no way of stopping Jaune, and it didn't help that even their Goodwitch and Ozpin seemed to turn a blind eye to it.

"I- I suppose you have a point." Pyrrha took over for Ruby as she replaced their first jar with another, "At the very least, I'd like to know that he'll be safe considering the type of fights he gets into."

"She's breaking free!"

Weiss had lost her battle with the orange-haired berserker; Nora went on to shove Ren out of the way- sending him flying- and stuck her open mouth right underneath the faucet, directly injesting the sweet syrup that came out.

"We all would," Yang assured her soothingly, "So let's give Blake a chance. Now come on, I think the princess needs our help."

* * *

"Just stick it in." A line straight out of one of her books, but Blake knew better than to think Jaune would understand the innuendo. The blond followed her instructions dutifully, stabbing the tree with a faucet near the ground and placing a jar underneath it, letting the sap flow in.

"We haven't really had a chance to talk recently." She sat on the ground near the tree, patting the floor next to her, "What have you been up to?"

Jaune sat down beside her and she got a glimpse of the bruise on his neck. It was an ugly welt, a purplish-red that was barely visible from the side of his neck, hidden partially by his long hair and under his clothes.

"Well, I've been working through the workbooks Glynda gave to me." Blake had to avert her eyes from the injury as he looked at her, "It's been going a bit slow, but she helps me every time she visits."

"I'm sorry we haven't been able to come so often any more," Blake apologized a bit morosely, "Ren and I actually got in a bit of trouble trying to sneak out to visit you last week."

It irked her a bit that Professor Goodwitch had caught them so easily; she prided herself for her stealthiness and she could recognize that the only other male on their team was also very light on his feet as well.

"It's okay. Glynda told me that you were falling behind in your classes." He absentmindedly played with the faucet in the tree situated between them, still leaking sap into the jar. "I wouldn't want you to fail because of me."

"Well, I don't believe any of us would've failed, exactly." Apart from Ruby who had two years less of an education, and Nora who tended to procrastinate, the rest of their team were among the top of the class normally. Even with the constant visits draining a lot of their time, it hadn't been enough for any of them to actually fail.

"And you're our teammate, Jaune. More importantly, you're our friend so it was worth it." Jaune smiled shyly and looked at the ground at the comment, avoiding her gaze; Blake felt like hugging him yet again.

"So you can't just be doing those workbooks all day," she said, turning the tap off as their jar was finally full, "Have you made any new friends? Or at least just met someone you can get along with?"

The expression on his face was hesitant at her question, and he licked his lips once.

"Well, there is this girl. She's… well I'd say she's kinda crazy but-"

A scream interrupted their conversation and they both jumped to their feet in a flurry of movement, looking towards the direction of the noise. She caught a glimpse of a member from team CRDL as he ran by, not having spotted them. Blake didn't really remember his name; Cardin was the only one from that team that she had the displeasure of knowing.

Blake was sure they had been attacked by Grimm and looked to where Jaune had been standing to see what he thought, only to find that he had completely disappeared.

"Jaune?" She looked around in a panic and incredulity; despite her senses, she wasn't sure where exactly he had vanished to. Deducing that he most likely had ran to where the other boy was running away from, Blake ran in the same direction.

Hearing a roar of anger, the girl came across a clearing only to catch sight of a clearly exhausted Cardin swinging his weapon at an absolutely massive Ursa. She watched in horror however as the boy's face twisted in pain and his weapon dropped from his grip mid-swing. Blake ran forward but she knew instinctively that she couldn't get to him in time. The monster struck true with it's paw, striking Cardin across the chest, shredding past his armor and gouging his chest.

Cardin flew back as Blake struck at the Ursa in fury, not going to allow the beast to injure him any more. The Ursa had drawn blood from the cocky boy, meaning that he had likely been fighting it until his aura had run out.

"Hey!"

She yelled at it to draw it's attention; the monster stood on it's feet, completely towering over her as she stood between it and Cardin. And again, completely hidden from her senses, Jaune appeared on top of the beast, standing on it's shoulders. The Ursa looked up at the boy in what Blake had to assume was surprise.

The blond stabbed his sword into the beast's open mouth, tearing into it's throat with the wide blade as he grinded it into the innards of the beast. It roared in pain and Blake knew that there was absolutely no way it could have survived such an assault.

The beast stumbled in its death throes, swiping it's paws uselessly as it tried to get Jaune off; the girl had to dive out of the way as one was sent her way. When it finally died, still on it's feet, her teammate pulled his weapon out and jumped off, leaving the Grimm to fall.

She jerked when she realized that it would fall on top of Cardin, who was slowly bleeding out on the floor in front of it. Jaune made no move to save him however, so she jumped forward and grabbed Cardin's prone body, quickly pulling it out of the way.

Blake sighed in relief as the threat was finally over, the Grimm slowly beginning it's usual evaporation. She ran an eye over Cardin's wound and knew that he would need medical attention.

"You okay, Blake?"

She looked over to see the long-haired blond gazing at her with concern. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm fine." But as Blake looked back at him, she realized that he didn't spare a single glance at the grievously injured boy on the ground next to her. He hadn't even bothered to think about where he dropped the dead Ursa; it would have fell right on top of Cardin if she hadn't intervened.

She wanted to get angry, to yell at Jaune about being so callous, but she didn't. Instead, she felt a deep sorrow that he didn't care. Jaune wasn't a monster; there was just something fundamentally different, something wrong about in how he thought. It wasn't his fault and it just broke her heart that it was someone she cared about.

"Cardin!"

She turned her head, watching as the rest of team CRDL returned with reinforcements. She stood up, stepping away from Cardin's body and brushing her dress. .

"Get away from him!"

"Trying to finish the job?"

The team withdrew their weapons, glaring at her as they jumped in front of their team leader. Weiss and Pyrrha ran in behind them, stopping and carefully observing the situation instead of jumping into the middle. Blake was thankful that they kept a level head instead of doing something to ignite the situation She held up her hands to defuse the situation.

"We saved him from the Ursa," she explained, "But he was injured. He needs to get to a hospital."

When they didn't stow their weapons away, Blake glanced behind her to see that Jaune still had his weapon drawn; she realized that they weren't reacting to her, they were reacting to his presence.

She backed up, placing her hand on top of Jaune's and signalling for him to put his weapon away. The blond did so reluctantly, but Blake was relieved that he didn't try to argue the point.

"Jaune didn't hurt your leader; it was the Ursa, and he was the one to kill it." Blake did her best to calm them down, but it didn't work much to her irritation.

"Why is he even back? He should've been expelled!"

"Don't pretend like you're blameless. You provoked all of us and don't forget your stupid display in the cafeteria," she spat back at them, finally losing her temper. Regardless of the fact that Jaune shouldn't have attacked Cardin the way he did, she didn't forget team CRDL's appalling behavior, especially towards their faunus classmates.

"And he reacted like a maniac!" The mohawked boy looked irate, glaring daggers at Jaune. "Cardin can barely fight with that hand any more and the doctors said it might never recover!"

The willingness to argue died immediately at the revelation; Blake hadn't really paid much attention to team CRDL since Jaune had stabbed their leader but she had no idea that Cardin's hand had taken that much damage. And now he was wounded even more grievously; what if the boy could no longer be a Huntsman after today?

She looked to see Jaune's reaction and felt even more tired when she caught sight of him. He looked completely disinterested in the conversation, obviously not caring even the slightest bit.

"That's enough!" Weiss's frigid voice snapped out as she stood up, glaring at everyone. She had kneeling beside Cardin applying first aid while the rest of them were arguing. "He needs an emergency room and you're doing him no favors by airing your grievances right now. Professor Goodwitch should almost be here, so you should prepare to depart."

Her words had destroyed any inclination to fight among the group. Team CRDL finally stowed their weapons away, turning away from her and Jaune. Blake sighed and mentally thanked Weiss before turning to Jaune again.

He smiled at her as if nothing had happened, and her heart twisted again. There was no chance that she or anyone on the team would abandon Jaune considering how attached they were to each other at this point. Teaching him empathy seemed a monumental task however, and Blake wasn't sure where to begin.

She hadn't felt this lost in such a long time.

* * *

"So you're the new favorite, huh?"

"What of it?" Jaune took in her appearance carefully. Lisa had said Domina would be his most difficult matchup to date, given her skillset and fighting style. He wasn't entirely sure about his chances of winning.

"Nothing, just curious how a pretty boy like you could be on a winning streak." She was more like a bodybuilder than a Huntress; the muscles on her bare arms rippled as she stood tall in front of him.

"Are you going to be the first to beat me, then?" He watched carefully as she began stretching out her tanned arms and legs in preparation for their fight. "Everyone else said the same."

She just barked out in laughter at his comment.

"Win or lose, I don't care." Domina grinned at him, bending over slightly as the clock began ticking down, "I've seen how you fight and I've been waiting for this. Give me a good one."

Jaune prepared himself as well, his hood up like always. He already had his daggers at the ready; their function had been revealed in his very first match so there was no use in hiding it. Across from him, he noticed that the peach-haired woman had already prepared her semblance for use going by the sudden sharpness of her teeth. The currently black-haired boy witnessed her nails elongate and harden into claws, her hair growing shaggy and furry. Even her eyes looked feral, completing the image of a beast-like woman instead of the human that she was.

As soon as the timer ringed the start of the match, Domina ran at him with her claws leading, her body still hunched. Her muscled legs took great strides, feet pounding the ground with beastly strength as she aimed to tackle him to the floor.

Watching her approach with anticipation, Jaune flicked one of his daggers at her. The blade flew at her face still attached to the chain; it was nothing more than an annoyance however, something she deflected with a quick flick of her clawed hand. Jaune took advantage of the distraction however, leaping forward and flipping over her back. He spun in the air and viciously kicked at the back of her head.

Domina lost her balance for only a short moment as she flinched from the hit, but after skidding to a halt she abruptly turned and lunged at the opponent now within her range.

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Jaune ducked under her punch and twisted his upper body, slamming his elbow into her stomach. He tried to ignore the pain in his elbow as it hit her hardened body and aimed to slash at her neck with his blade.

The beast-like woman jerked her head back, narrowly dodging the blade and letting it sail past her as she lashed out with her leg.

"Ugh!" Jaune blocked the strike with his arm, wincing in pain as he felt the force of the blow to his arm. He attempted to jump back but Domina gave chase quickly, not letting him put any distance between them.

"Come on Surge!"

Pulling on both of his extended weapons as she caught up to him again, Jaune ducked under her blow again as he circled behind her quickly. The one thing he had noticed about the muscled fighter during Lisa's review was that she had a tendency to aim for the face and the head. With that foresight, it allowed him to dodge more of her attacks so long as she kept trying to maim his face.

The chains from his blades wrapped around her torso and he pulled them taut, tightening them. With great effort, he wrapped a portion of the chains around his arms and pulled on the handles, attempting to wrestle her to the ground while keeping his distance. Domina turned around however and began to pull back.

It was with horror that he realized exactly how much greater physical strength she had than him; he quickly lost the tug of war he had initiated and Domina quickly took advantage of it as she pulled him in.

Jaune lost his balance for a second as he tripped forward, but it was enough time for his opponent to lunge at him and grab him in a bear hug.

"Aaghhh!" He held back his screams as pain _coursed_ through his body; Domina was doing her best to crush him with her body, her arms wrapping around his back. He kicked and punched at her frantically, her hug only letting him do so at odd angles, but the heavier woman wasn't letting go despite the hits she was taking.

"Ghhh!"

Jaune slammed his head into hers, but regretted it as soon as he did; even her skull was tougher than his. He felt her razor-sharp teeth pierce his collar, drawing a gout of blood as she bit off a chunk of his flesh.

"I like marking my men." She chuckled at his agonized howl. Her face and front splattered with his blood, she relaxed her hold and tossed him away. He bounced from the throw, looking up blearily at her once he came to a stop.

He felt fear grip his heart as she made her way across the bloodstained floor toward him. Groaning from the searing pain in his shoulder, Jaune tried to crawl away from the woman but it was to no avail. She bent over and grabbed his ankle, preventing his futile escape.

"I'm disappointed, Surge," she said, as she dragged him across the floor behind her, the wound on his shoulder spilling as she did so, "I expected more from you."

Jaune kicked at her hand with his free leg, freeing himself from whatever she had planned. He pushed away again, putting as much between them as he could. Domina turned around to look at him with an exasperated expression.

"I'm going to bite into that pretty little face of yours." His hood had come off long before, and Jaune was terrified at the taunt; she wasn't like any of the other fighters he had faced previously. This fight reminded him of his time in the Wilds when he was younger, where every monster wanted nothing more than to consume him.

Fighting for his life, for survival. And all he had against that threat was his blood. Domina was just like the Grimm in that regard.

Fury filled his veins, and he felt the connection.

As the hulk lumbered forward once more, Jaune swiped his hand at her. His blood jumped at the command, slicing through the backs of her ankles, piercing through her aura and the hardened flesh from her semblance.

"Aah!" Screaming in both surprise and pain, Domina fell to the ground as her feet were no longer able to support her body. She saw the moving blood behind her and looked at the furious Jaune with fear for the first time.

He raised his hand again, his blood pooling into the crude shape of a spear in front of him, floating in the air. He grit his teeth at the exertion, especially when the flowing blood from his shoulder joined it.

"W-wait…" Domina raised her hand in mercy, knowing that whatever he was doing, her aura would not stop it.

Jaune snarled at her. "I will not be eaten!"

With a motion, the spear launched at her. She threw herself out of it's path as best she could, dodging the blow to her face that would surely have killed her. The spear slammed through the side of her chest, drilling straight through before bursting into liquid as it came out the other side.

Domina writhed on the floor as the puncture burned her in utter agony, bleeding from her mouth as she bit into her tongue. Seeing that he missed, Jaune began to ready another one. The woman barely caught sight of it.

"H-hey wait." The woman put her forehead to the ground in direct submission to him. "I give up. I give up!"

But Jaune paid her words no heed, no longer seeing a tournament or a fight. His second spear began to form and his opponent began to freak out.

"No!" she shrieked, "I already forfeit! Please!"

Before he could finish her off, Jaune felt a nimble hand touch his uninjured shoulder. Looking up, he saw Lisa's hooded face leaning beside him with a worried look on her face.

"It's already over." Lisa's soothing voice relaxed him and he felt himself give in to it; he released his control over his makeshift weapon, letting it splash uselessly onto the ground. "You won."

Jaune slumped into her, his head falling comfortably into her shoulder. She lightly hugged him to her and the last thing he saw was her worried face before everything went dark.

* * *

"We should never have allowed this!"

Ozpin didn't react to her rising voice, scrutinizing the video carefully to see if there was anything he might have missed. Glynda wasn't deterred by his silence, determined to vent her frustration.

"Ozpin! He could have _died_. It was pure luck that he survived. Why did we even allow this in the first place!?" She wasn't capable of keeping the worry from her voice, especially not when it came to Jaune. The normally collected woman was beyond furious; she had been against this from the start.

"Calm your tits, Glyndie." Qrow's sarcastic comment was definitely not appreciated, especially when it was coming through a Scroll instead of his being physically present and within reach of a good beating.

"You can't deny his improvement, Glynda." Ozpin was only half-right however.

"Yes, he's gotten much better at fighting," she replied scathingly, "It's not as if he hasn't been doing that for half his life already."

"And would you rather he be unprepared?" She wanted to be even more furious with the Headmaster's calm reply, but he wasn't entirely wrong with that.

"And what about helping him adapt to society, to be able to live with friends and family normally?" Taking part in an illegal underground fight club with little to no rules in regards to the protection of its fighters hardly constituted a healthy environment for the boy.

"A balance had to be struck," Ozpin replied, "I also want for the boy to be safe and happy, but you know as well as I do that he needs to be primed for what will come."

Glynda sighed unhappily, taking her superior's point. It didn't help that she had to also play around his team's desire to help him as well. They had noticed all the injuries he had sustained during his night-time escapades. She had no doubt that she had come across as negligent at the very least. Glynda only hoped they wouldn't do anything drastic, especially when they would soon get word of his being in the hospital.

"Don't worry about him too much; we've got Lisa there to look after him." Qrow chuckled at the thought, which only made her frown.

"I'm not sure why you recommended her of all people." It was only at Qrow's endorsement that they had contacted her.

"If I didn't trust Ms Lavender, I would not have asked her to watch after Jaune." Ozpin's voice remained unwavering, but Glynda heard the rebuke in it. Lisa was one of their agents, after all.

"I trust Lisa. I just don't quite have faith in her… inclinations." She tried to put it as politely as possible. Lisa Lavender might have been on their side, but she wouldn't put it past the woman to seduce someone as naive as Jaune.

"Don't worry about that. Nothing came of it, though not for a lack of trying on her part."

"What do you mean?" she asked Qrow, danger in her voice.

"You really gotta take things easy, Glynda." Qrow barked in laughter; she hated that the man was able to infuriate her from so far away. "She apparently threw herself at him in her hot tub. No reaction on his part. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

Glynda's fury paused as she considered Qrow's words. Lisa was an attractive woman with a curvy figure; for a teenaged boy to not have any physiological reaction to her naked body seemed very unlikely.

"Don't think he's gay. Asexual maybe? Either way, given all that we know about him, I'd put my money on the little bit less-than-human category. Or more-than-human if you want it to sound better."

"Did you have any inclination on his abilities when you were training him?" Ozpin asked the wayward man, his fingers crossed as he rested his hands on his desk.

"I guess you could say there were hints." It wasn't hard to imagine that Qrow was thinking back to however he had trained Jaune as he spoke. "I always wondered exactly how he's capable of controlling those Vespers of his. It's not a far leap to say he can physically control his blood."

"It makes it even more imperative that we learn of his origins," Ozpin said, looking lost in thought, "To know if it is a family trait, or whether it might have been something he... picked up along the way."

If something out there made Jaune this way, Glynda didn't want to think of the possible consequences of that. There were already so many enemies out there; adding another mysterious potential foe with such a power would only hurt them in the long run.

"Well, I should be in Mistral soon. I got to Anima a few days ago, so it isn't too far now," Glynda listened as Qrow finished up the conversation on his end. "I'm going to take off. Look, Glynda. I shouldn't have to tell you this, and Lisa is there to help as well, but… take care of the kid, will ya?"

"I will," she promised, and the raven-haired man hung up without preamble. Glynda turned her gaze to Ozpin.

"He won't be participating in that arena any longer." He may have been her boss, but her voice brooked no argument. Ozpin sighed, but nodded.

"It is for the best, I suppose," he said wearily, "We'll have to bring him back to Beacon. With this new ability revealed, we can't afford to attract any unsavory attention to him."

* * *

They watched as he got caught, having lost his tug of war battle after underestimating the strength of his opponent. Neo's amused expression didn't change in the slightest as her 'friend' was slowly being crushed by the colossus of a woman.

"I guess he's done for." Roman knew how Domina fought after all, and despite witnessing the boy's undefeated streak of fights in the arena he didn't have high hopes for the student to come out on top for this one.

"Ouch." He winced with Jaune as the barbarian tore a chunk of his shoulder off, gritting his teeth in sympathy. Like most of the fighters that took part in those battles, the woman could be quite vicious. The fact that her opponent was prettier than her probably bugged her on an inner level, not to mention his own rather ruthless match history had most likely only spurned her on.

"Seems like your pal finally got done in." Neo only shrugged at his comment. Despite knowing her for so long, Roman still didn't fully understand the little psychopath. He didn't really think she was attached to the boy, but then he had never really heard of Neo going on a date with people. Still, she didn't show any outward reaction to his eminent loss so Roman figured it didn't truly matter to her.

"He looks terrified." It didn't stop Neo from watching however, her eyes on the screen with rapt attention. When Jaune continued to fight, kicking at Domina's hand and crawling away from her, a satisfied smirk spread on Neo's face.

"You know, she might really eat his face," Roman commented, glancing at Neo, "I don't know if your boy toy is going to be any good to you disfigured."

Roman knew that Neo didn't really have any other aspirations for him; he could only scoff at the thought of the girl falling in love. Most likely, she was interested in how he continued to fight and struggle; she loved prey that fought back.

He blinked when Domina suddenly fell to her knees, her ankles bleeding heavily.

"What just hap-" As a lance began to form out of his blood, Roman shut his mouth and paid close attention to the remainder of the fight with a keen focus. Jaune launched the makeshift weapon at Domina, who dodged as best as she could while on the ground. His eyes widened when it went right through her before bursting.

"That doesn't seem right." Domina's semblance hardened her skin and basically turned her into a part-beast, almost like a faunus. With her aura on top of it, the woman had a formidable defense, her offensive capabilities notwithstanding. He knew of semblances affecting the body, but never of one using one's own blood. Especially one capable of making liquid blades with the ability to pierce through aura, if not skin with the toughness of iron.

He recalled what he knew about the boy. After Neo had mentioned knowing him, Roman of course took the time to look him up. Jaune didn't have any records before Beacon which was probably indicative of his being from a frontier town in the Wilds.

Or a cover story.

Roman mulled it over, and he knew it bore serious investigating. A Beacon student with no accountable history. A student taking part in an illegal fight club outside of school jurisdiction, with a semblance the likes of which he had never seen. A semblance that seemed… fake. _Artificial_.

"My dear Neo, I do believe I've just made a breakthrough," he said, getting her attention as Domina surrendered the match, "I'm afraid your little friend might be involved in some shady dealings. What do you say we have a serious conversation with him about the perils of treason."

Neo looked at him for a moment before looking back at Jaune. She grinned in excitement. Grabbing the remote, the diminutive woman changed the channel over to a pornographic flick.

When she stuck her hand down the front of her pants, Roman took it as his cue to leave. She didn't like anyone in the room while she was in this sort of mood, and he had plans to make.

* * *

 **Notes:** Since I'll be busy with work and other things for the next three days or so, I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. Wrote this whole chapter in the past few days, in fact.

A lot of things happened here (as they do most chapters), but there has been a couple of revelations. From my experience, reviewers for the RWBY section tend to leave very in-depth, detailed, and analyzing review and I absolutely love seeing them. I like that my story might make people want to think and invest a little bit of their time in it, so I'm especially curious to see what you think of this one.

There is one point of contention that I feel I'll have to explain here, however. This is regarding Roman's conclusion of Jaune's 'semblance'.

The use of semblances isn't explicitly stated by RT, the only thing we can assume is that a semblance only appears once a person's aura is unlocked. The ones we've seen in the series are pretty unique but also do sometimes share themes (illusions, speed, cloning, damage absorption, etc...). For this story, I made the decision that a semblance is used when one makes use of their aura. Thus, Jaune controlling his blood, which he can only really make use of if his aura is deactivated (in order to draw blood), is an outlier in terms of a semblance (though we know that it's not a semblance).

That's why Roman comes to the conclusion that Jaune's 'semblance' seems artificial. Combined with the rest of what he knows about Jaune and that he knows of the existence of Simulacrum, his mind jumps to that conclusion. If he didn't have that knowledge, it just would've been a weird semblance and that would be the end of it.

Anyway, I need to prepare for work, so I'll be taking off. I hope to hear from all of you, regarding not just this semblance thing, but all the other things that happened in this chapter (Cardin, the fight, Lisa etc...).

Cheerio!

knuckz


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